Leptocyon
Encyclopedia
Leptocyon is a small extinct genus of canidae
endemic to North America
during the Oligocene
through Miocene
living from 24.8—10.3 mya, existing for approximately .
Leptocyon was a small bodied, fox
-like animal with a slender jaw.
by Gregory (1942); it was revalidated by Webb (1969), Carroll (1988) and Munthe (1998). It was assigned to Canidae
by Matthew (1918), Webb (1969), Carroll (1988) and Munthe (1998).
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...
endemic to 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 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...
through Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
living from 24.8—10.3 mya, existing for approximately .
Leptocyon was a small bodied, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
-like animal with a slender jaw.
Taxonomy
Leptocyon was named by Matthew (1918). It was synonymized subjectively with VulpesVulpes
Vulpes is a genus of the Canidae family. Its members are referred to as 'true foxes', although there are species in other genera whose common names include the word 'fox'....
by Gregory (1942); it was revalidated by Webb (1969), Carroll (1988) and Munthe (1998). It was assigned to Canidae
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...
by Matthew (1918), Webb (1969), Carroll (1988) and Munthe (1998).