Ectopocynus
Ectopocynus Temporal range: | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Subfamily: | †Hesperocyoninae |
Genus: | †Ectopocynus Wang, 1994 |
Type species | |
†Ectopocynus simplicidens | |
Species | |
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Ectopocynus ("strange dog") is an extinct genus of bone crushing canid which inhabited North America from the Oligocene to the Early Miocene. It lived from 33.3 to 16.0 Ma and existed for approximately 17.3 million years.[1]
Remains of Ectopocynus are limited to mandibles and teeth only. These reveal that the animal had simple, robust, and blunt yet massive premolars and reduced or lost cusps on the lower molars. In this respect, Ectopocynus had many of the characteristics of Enhydrocyon. This dentition suggests this animal was a hypercarnivore or mesocarnivore.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- Wang, X. 1994. Phylogenetic systematics of the Hesperocyoninae (Carnivora, Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 221:1-207.