Cormocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae

Borophaginae

The subfamily Borophaginae is an extinct group of canids called "bone crushing dogs" that were endemic to North America during the Oligocene to Pliocene and lived roughly 36—2.5 million years ago and existing for approximately .-Origin:...

and a terrestrial

Terrestrial animal

Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...

 canine

Canidae

Canidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...

 which inhabited most of North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 during the Geringian

Geringian

The Geringian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 30,800,000 to 26,300,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to fall within the Oligocene epoch...

 stage of the Paleogene

Paleogene

The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...

 through Harrisonian

Harrisonian

The Harrisonian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 24,800,000 to 20,600,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Chattian and Aquitarian stages...

 stage of the Oligocene

Oligocene

The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...

 epoch living 30.8—20.6 Mya, existing for about .

Cormocyon contains two species: Cormocyon copei and Cormocyon haydeni. It was first named by Xiaoming Wang

Xiaoming Wang

Xiaoming Wang is a noted paleontologist and geologist born in People's Republic of China living in the United States.-Area of expertise:Dr. Wang specializes in the fossil evolution, systematics, and phylogeny of mammals of the Cenozoic...

 and Richard L. Tedford in 1992, who described it as a primitive borophagini genus after comparing it to Nothocyon

Nothocyon

Nothocyon is an extinct genus of carnivoran which inhabited North America during the late Oligocene. At one time, many species of the dog family Canidae were placed in Nothocyon, but new fossils showed that the type species of Nothocyon, N. geismarianus, is more closely related to bears...

 geismarianus. The period of extinction overlaps the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene

Early Miocene

The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages....

 supepochs according to fossil record.

Morphology

Fossil specimens of two individuals' body mass were examined by Legendre and Roth. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 2.79 kg (6.1 lbs). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 2.82 kg (6.2 lbs). Its was related to the domestic dog.

Sister genera

Desmocyon

Desmocyon

Desmocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Harrisonian stage of the Late Oligocene through Early Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene epoch living 24.8—16.3 Mya existing for approximately .-Fossil record:It is a...

, Euoplocyon

Euoplocyon

Euoplocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a small terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene subepoch through the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene subepoch living 20.6—13.6 Mya, existing for about...

, Metatomarctus

Metatomarctus

Metatomarctus is an extinct genus of Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Early Hemingfordian stage of the Miocene epoch living 23.0—5.3 Mya, existing for approximately -Taxonomy:...

, Microtomarctus

Microtomarctus

Microtomarctus is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a small terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Whitneyan stage of the Early Miocene subepoch through the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene subepoch.Microtomarctus existed for approximately .Like other...

, Protomarctus

Protomarctus

Protomarctus is an extinct member of the Borophaginae and a small terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Burdigalian stage of the Miocene epoch 20.4—15.9 Mya, existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:...

, Psalidocyon

Psalidocyon

Psalidocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a small terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene subepoch through the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene subepoch 20.6—13.6 Ma, existing for about ..-Morphology:Fossil...

, and Tephrocyon

Tephrocyon

Tephrocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a small to medium sized terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene 16.3—13.6 Ma, existing for approximately .-Morphology:...

.

Sources

• zipcodezoo.com
• paleodb.org
• The Terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene Transition in North America By Donald R. Prothero and Robert J. Emry ISBN 0521433878
• Flynn, J.J., 1998. Early Cenozoic Carnivora ("Miacoidea"). pp.110-123 in C.M. Janis, K.M. Scott, and L.L. Jacobs (eds.) Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume 1: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulatelike Mammals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-35519-2
• www.uoregon.edu