Small Oligocene amphicyonids from North America (Paradaphoenus, Mammalia, Carnivora)

Title Variants

Alternative: Oligocene amphicyonids

Related Titles

Series: American Museum novitates, no. 3331

By

Hunt, Robert M., Jr. 1941-

Type

Book

Material

Published material

Publication info

New York, NY American Museum of Natural History c2001

Notes

Caption title.

"April 26, 2001."

North American amphicyonid carnivorans are important members of the mid-Cenozoic terrestrial carnivore community during the late Eocene to late Miocene (Duchesnean to Clarendonian). Species range in size from < 5 kg to > 200 kg. Among the smallest and rarest amphicyonids are Oligocene species of Paradaphoenus Wortman and Matthew, found at a few localities in the Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest. Paradaphoenus is known from only 10 individuals placed in 3 species (P. minimum; P. tooheyi, n. sp.; P. cuspigerus), representing a single lineage ranging from the Orellan to Arikareean. The existence of three skulls, one with associated mandibles, allows the identification of diagnostic basicranial and dental traits that place the genus in the Amphicyonidae. Basicranial anatomy, including a rudimentary ectotympanic auditory bulla, distinguishes the genus from more abundant small contemporary canids, such as Hesperocyon. The species of Paradaphoenus most likely adopted ecological roles similar to the smaller living foxes.

Subjects

Amphicyonidae , Mammals, Fossil , Nebraska , Oligocene , Oregon , Paleontology , Paradaphoenus , South Dakota

Call Number

QL1 .A436 no.3331 2001

Language

English

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2001)331<0001:SOAFNA>2.0.CO;2
OCLC: 46955341