Cynarctoides
Temporal range: Oligocene–Middle Miocene
Cynarctoides lemur fossil, University of California Museum of Paleontology.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Borophaginae
Tribe: Phlaocyonini
Genus: Cynarctoides
McGrew, 1938
Species[1]

See text

Range of Cynarctoides based on fossil record

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 19.7 million years. Seven species are currently recognised, all of which are estimated to have weighed no more than 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). They had an unusual dentition that implies an omnivorous, or possibly even herbivorous, diet.[2]

Species

Fossil evidence suggests that C. lemur migrated to the east and southeast over time becoming extinct in the northwest followed by the upper Great Plains and then the southeast.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Wang, Xiaoming; Richard Tedford; Beryl Taylor (1999-11-17). "Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 243. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-03-20. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  2. ^ Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H. (2008). Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. Columbia. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-231-13528-3.