Paratomarctus
Encyclopedia
Paratomarctus an extinct member 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:...

, subtribe Borophagina
Borophagina
Borophagina is a hypocarnivorous subfamily or clade of Borophaginae, a group of terrestrial canines which inhabited most of North America during the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene subepoch to the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene epoch 20.6—3.6 Mya existing approximately...

, 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...

 (Bear-dog) 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...

 from the 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 to Early Barstovian
Barstovian
The Barstovian 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 16,300,000 to 13,600,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Langhian and Serravallian...

 stage of the 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...

 epoch living 16.3—5.3 mya
Anum
Anum is an Akan town in the Asuogyaman District of Eastern Ghana, across from the Volta Lake.an...

, existed for approximately .

Canid competitors

Paratomarctus was one of the last of the Borophaginae and shared its North American habitat with other canidae: Borophagus
Borophagus
Borophagus is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the early Miocene epoch through the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene epoch 23.3—3.6 Mya. Borophagus existed for approximately .-Overview:Borophagus, like other borophagines, are loosely...

 (23.3—3.6 Mya), Epicyon
Epicyon
Epicyon is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae , native to North America. It lived from the Hemingfordian age of the Early Miocene to the Hemphillian of the Late Miocene Epicyon ("near dog") is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae ("bone-crushing dogs"),...

 (20.6—5.330 Ma), Carpocyon
Carpocyon
Carpocyon is an extinct member of the Borophaginae, and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene through the Hemphillian stage of the Late Miocene epoch 20.4—3.9 Mya. Carpocyon existed for approximately .-Taxonomy:Carpocyon was...

 (20.4—3.9 Ma), Aelurodon
Aelurodon
Aelurodon is an extinct canine genus of the subfamily Borophaginae which lived from the Barstovian land mammal age of the middle Miocene to the Clarendonian age of the late Miocene...

 (23.03—4.9 Ma), and the first emerging wolf, Canis lepophagus
Canis lepophagus
Canis lepophagus or Hare-eating Wolf is an extinct species of canidae which was endemic to much of North America and lived from the Miocene epoch through Early Pleistocene, 10.3—1.8 Mya. The species existed for approximately . It is one of the more basal species of Canis, having existed before most...

 appearing 10.3 Ma.

Taxonomy

Paratomarctus was named and assigned to Borophagina by Wang et al. (1999). It was recombined as Tephrocyon temerarius by Matthew and Cook (1909), Peterson (1910), Merriam (1913), Matthew (1918) and Merriam (1919); it was recombined as Tomarctus temerarius by Matthew (1924), Green (1948), Galbreath (1953), Downs (1956), Sutton (1977), Voorhies (1990) and Munthe (1998); it was recombined as Paratomarctus temerarius by Wang et al. (1999).

Morphology

Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 12.9 kg (28.4 lb). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 12 kg (26.5 lb).

Sources

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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