Borophaginae

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Borophaginae Fossil range: Oligocene to Pliocene (40 - 2.5 Ma)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Subfamily: †Borophaginae
Genera
See text

The subfamily Borophaginae is an extinct group of canids that were endemic to North America, and lived from roughly 40 to 2.5 million years ago (Oligocene to Pliocene).^[1]

The Borophaginae apparently descended from the subfamily Hesperocyoninae; they evolved to become considerably larger than their predecessors, and filled a wide range of niches in late Cenozoic North America, from small omnivores to powerful, bear-sized carnivores such as Epicyon.^[1][2]

Often generically referred to as "bone-crushing dogs" for their powerful teeth and jaws, and hyena-like features (although their dentition was more primitive than that of hyenas), their fossils are abundant and widespread; in all likelihood, they were probably one of the top predators of their ecosystem.^[2],^[1] Their good fossil record has also allowed a detailed reconstruction of their phylogeny, showing that the group was highly diverse in its heyday.^[2]

Some borophagines were as big as modern day lions. Some resembled raccoons or coyotes and might have been omnivorous.

Noteworthy genera in this group are Aelurodon, Epicyon, and Borophagus (=Osteoborus).

[edit] Classification

Borophagine taxonomy, following Wang et al.^[2]

• Family Canidae
  • Subfamily †Borophaginae
    • †Archaeocyon (32-24 mya)
    • †Oxetocyon (32-28 mya)
    • †Otarocyon (34-30 mya)
    • †Rhizocyon (30 mya)
    • Tribe †Phlaocyonini
      • †Cynarctoides (30-18 mya)
      • †Phlaocyon (30-19 mya)
    • Tribe †Borophagini
      • †Cormocyon
      • †Desmocyon
      • †Metatomarctus (19-16 mya)
      • †Euoplocyon (18-16 mya)
      • †Psalidocyon (16 mya)
      • †Microtomarctus (18 mya)
      • †Protomarctus
      • †Tephrocyon (16 mya)
      • Subtribe †Cynarctina
        • †Paracynarctus (19-16 mya)
        • †Cynarctus (16-12 mya)
      • Subtribe †Aelurodontina
        • †Tomarctus (16 mya)
        • †Aelurodon (16-12 mya)
      • Subtribe †Borophagina
        • †Paratomarctus (16-13 mya)
        • †Carpocyon
        • †Protepicyon (16 mya)
        • †Epicyon (12-10 mya)
        • †Borophagus (=Osteoborus) (12-5 mya)

Cladogram showing borophagine interrelationships, following Wang et al., figure 141:^[2]

Canidae	Hesperocyoninae Caninae Borophaginae Archaeocyon Oxetocyon Otarocyon Rhizocyon Phlaocyonini Cynarctoides Phlaocyon Borophagini Cormocyon Desmocyon Cynarctina Paracynarctus Cynarctus Metatomarctus Euoplocyon Psalidocyon Microtomarctus Protomarctus Tephrocyon Aelurodontina Tomarctus Aelurodon Borophagina Paratomarctus Carpocyon Protepicyon Epicyon Borophagus

[edit] See also

• Borophagus

[edit] References:

• ^ Alan Turner, "National Geographic: Prehistoric Mammals" (Washington, D.C.: Firecrest Books Ltd., 2004), pp. 112-114. ISBN 0-7922-7134-3

1. ^ ^{a b} Postanowicz, Rebecca. Lioncrusher's Domain: Canidae. Retrieved on 2006-04-12.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Wang, Xiaoming; Richard Tedford, Beryl Taylor (1999-11-17). "Phylogenetic systematics of the borophaginae". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 243. 

v • d • e Extinct members of the family Canidae Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Order: Carnivora · Suborder: Caniformia †Hesperocyoninae †Prohesperocyon · †Hesperocyon · †Mesocyon · †Cynodesmus · †Sunkahetanka · †Philotrox · †Enhydrocyon · †Paraenhydrocyon · †Osbornodon · †Caedocyon · †Ectopocynus †Borophaginae †Archaeocyon · †Oxetocyon · †Otarocyon · †Rhizocyon · †Cynarctoides · †Phlaocyon · †Cormocyon · †Desmocyon · †Metatomarctus · †Euoplocyon · †Psalidocyon · †Microtomarctus · †Protomarctus · †Tephrocyon · †Paracynarctus · †Cynarctus · †Tomarctus · †Aelurodon · †Paratomarctus · †Carpocyon · †Protepicyon · †Epicyon · †Borophagus Caninae (extinct genera) †Leptocyon · †Prototocyon · †Eucyon · †Protocyon · †Theriodictis · †Dusicyon · †Nurocyon · †Xenocyon · †Cynotherium Category