Borophagines are extinct canids of the subfamily Borophaginae, which flourished in North America from the Miocene through the Pliocene epochs. They are named after the holotype genus Borophagus. Genera Alopex Atelocynus Canis Cerdocyon Chrysocyon Cuon Dusicyon Fennecus Lycalopex Lycaon Nyctereutes Otocyon Pseudalopex Speothos Urocyon Vulpes Canidae is the family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals commonly known as canines. ... ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Miocene epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23 to 5. ... The Pliocene epoch (formerly Pleiocene) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... A holotype is one of several possible types. ...
Probable descendants of the subfamily Hesperocyoninae, they are often referred to as "bone-crushing" or "hyena-like" dogs, due to the evidence from tooth and skull structure that they were capable of eating bone, as well their superficial resemblance to hyenas.(Hunt) They were the largest canids to evolve, as exemplified by Epicyon haydeni, which stood some 0.95 m at the shoulder. (Turner) That said, the capacity to crunch bone was most highly evolved in later, smaller members of the group like Borophagus, rather than in the larger genera such as Epicyon; furthermore, their teeth were less advanced in that regard compared to modern hyenas.(Turner) Genera Crocuta Hyaena Parahyaena Proteles Hyenas (or Hyænas) are moderately large terrestrial carnivores native to Africa and Asia. ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically similar species. ...
Other noteworthy genera in this group are Aelurodon and Osteoborus.
References:
Russell Hunt, "Ecological Polarities Of the North American Family Canidae: A New Approach to Understanding Forty Million Years of Canid Evolution" Accessed 1/30/06.
Alan Turner, "National Geographic: Prehistoric Mammals" (Washington, D.C.: Firecrest Books Ltd., 2004), pp. 112-114. ISBN 0792271343
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