Biology:Paraenhydrocyon

Short description: Extinct genus of carnivores

Paraenhydrocyon Temporal range: Early Miocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skull of Paraenhydrocyon josephi
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	†Hesperocyoninae
Genus:	†Paraenhydrocyon Wang, 1994
Type species
†Temnocyon wallovianus
Species
†P. robustus Cope 1881 †P. josephi Matthew 1907 †P. wallovianus Cope 1881

Paraenhydrocyon ("beside Enhydrocyon") is an extinct genus of bone crushing omnivorous early canid which inhabited North America during the Early Miocene, 24.8—20.4 Ma, existing for approximately 5 million years.

The dentition suggests that this animal was a hypercarnivore or mesocarnivore. In addition to its retention of several primitive cranial characters, this includes unique sharp-tipped, slender premolars that clearly contrast with the strong premolars of the Mesocyon–Enhydrocyon group, but also parallels that clade by having a reduced metaconid cusp on the lower molars.

References

Wikidata ☰ Q7134499 entry