''Phlaocyon'' (from Greek ''phlao'', "eat greedily" and ''cyon'', "dog") is an extinct genus of the

Borophaginae The extinct Borophaginae form one of three subfamilies found within the canid family. The other two canid subfamilies are the extinct Hesperocyoninae and extant Caninae. Borophaginae, called "bone-crushing dogs", were endemic to North America d ...

subfamily of

canid Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a family (biology), biological family of caniform carnivorans, constituting a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). The family includes three subfamily, subfamilies: the Caninae, a ...

s native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. It lives from the

Early Oligocene The Rupelian is, in the geologic timescale, the older of two age (geology), ages or the lower of two stage (stratigraphy), stages of the Oligocene epoch (geology), Epoch/series (stratigraphy), Series. It spans the time between . It is preceded b ...

to the

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...

epoch 33.3–16.3 Mya, existing for approximately . It is closely related to ''

Cynarctoides ''Cynarctoides'' is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae subfamily of canids native to North America. It lived from the Early Oligocene to the Middle Miocene, 33.3—13.6 Mya, existing for approximately . Seven species are currently recognised, ...

''.

Phylogeny

When discovered in the 19th century and during the following decades, ''Phlaocyon'' was thought to be ancestral to

raccoons The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...

because of shared convergent adaptations toward hypocarnivorous dentitions, but was the first to discover the canid nature of the middle ear region in ''P. leucosteus'' and ''Phlaocyon'' in now believed to be part of very diverse

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

of hypocarnivorous canids, the

Phlaocyonini Phlaocyonini is an extinction, extinct clade or tribe (biology), tribe of hypocarnivore, hypocarnivorous Borophaginae, borophagines (bone-crushing dogs). They were endemic to North America and from the Oligocene epoch (Whitneyan stage) to the Mio ...

, and only distantly related to raccoons. '' P. mariae'' and '' P. yatkolai'', both known from isolated teeth and fragmentary material, are the largest and most derived species, and both display a tendency away from the hypocarnivorous dentition of the genus and towards a more

hypercarnivorous A hypercarnivore is an animal that has a diet that is more than 70% meat, either via active predation or by scavenging. The remaining non-meat diet may consist of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material. Some extant example ...

dentition.

Anatomy

''Phlaocyon'' was about in body length, and looked more like a

cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...

than a dog, but its skull anatomy shows it to be a primitive canid. ''Phlaocyon'' probably lived like a raccoon, often climbing trees. Its head was short, wide, and had forward-facing eyes. Unlike modern canides, ''Phlaocyon'' had no specialised teeth for slicing flesh. It is thought to have been an

omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize t ...

Species

* †'' P. achoros'' * †'' P. annectens'' * †'' P. latidens'' * †'' P. leucosteus'' * †'' P. mariae'' * †'' P. marslandensis'' * †'' P. minor'' * †'' P. multicuspus'' * †'' P. taylori'' * †'' P. yatkolai''

Fossil distribution

*Foree Site,

John Day Formation The John Day Formation is a series of rock strata exposed in the Picture Gorge district of the John Day River basin and elsewhere in north-central Oregon in the United States. The Picture Gorge exposure lies east of the Blue Mountains (Oregon), ...

Wheeler County, Oregon Wheeler County is a county in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,451, making it Oregon's least populous county. It is named in honor of Henry H. Wheeler. an early settler who owned a farm near Mitchell. ...

(P. latidens) ~30.8–20.6 Ma. * Brooksville 2 Site,

Hernando County, Florida Hernando County () is a County (United States), county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 194,515. Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida, Brooks ...

(P. taylori) ~30.8–20.6 Ma. * SB-1A Live Oak Site,

Suwannee County, Florida Suwannee County is a county located in the north central portion of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,474, up from 41,551 in 2010. Its county seat is Live Oak. Suwannee County was a dry county until August 201 ...

(P. leucosteus) ~24.8–20.6 Ma. *Buda Mine,

Alachua County, Florida Alachua County ( ) is a county in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 278,468. The county seat is Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida. History Prehistory and ear ...

(P. indent) ~24.8–20.6 Ma. *Wewela Site,

Tripp County, South Dakota Tripp County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,624. Its county seat is Winner. The county was created in 1873, and was organized in 1909. It is named for lawyer, judge, and diplomat ...

(P. minor) ~26.3–24.8 Ma.

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * (with illustrations by Mauricio Antón) * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2330531 Borophagines Oligocene canids Miocene canids Burdigalian genus extinctions Cenozoic mammals of North America Prehistoric carnivoran genera Rupelian genus first appearances Fossil taxa described in 1899