Cynodictis
Appearance
Cynodictis | |
---|---|
Cynodictis teeth and jaw fragments | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | †Amphicyonidae |
Subfamily: | †Amphicyoninae |
Genus: | †Cynodictis Bravard and Pomel, 1850 |
Species | |
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Cynodictis ("slender dog marten") is an extinct amphicyonid carnivoran which inhabited Eurasia from the Late Eocene subepoch to the Early Oligocene subepoch living from 37.2—28.4 million years ago, existing for approximately 8.8 million years.[1][2]
Anatomy
Cynodictis had a long muzzle and a low-slung body. It had carnassial teeth for slicing chunks of meat off carcasses. It was about 30 cm at the shoulder.
Fossil distribution
Fossil specimens have been found in the Lushi Formation of Mengjiapo, China, in Weisserburg, Germany and Les Saleres in the Ager Basin of Spain, the Bembridge Limestone and Bembridge Marls Formations of the Isle of Wight, Great Britain as well as the Perrière and Quercy Phosphorites Formations and La Débruge in France.
References
- ^ Paleobiology Database: Cynodictis, age range and collections
- ^ Egi, Naoko, Takehisa Tsubamoto, and Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar. "New amphicyonid (Mammalia: Carnivora) from the Upper Eocene Ergilin Dzo Formation, Mongolia." Paleontological research 13.3 (2009): 245-249.("...It is similar to Cynodictis, which is a primitive amphicyonid from the late Eocene to early Oligocene of Europe...")
Further reading
- Haines, Tim, and Paul Chambers. The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life. Pg. 176. Canada: Firefly Books Ltd., 2006
Categories:
- Amphicyonidae
- Eocene carnivorans
- Oligocene caniforms
- Priabonian life
- Rupelian life
- Oligocene mammals of Europe
- Eocene mammals of Europe
- Paleogene England
- Fossils of England
- Paleogene France
- Fossils of France
- Quercy Phosphorites Formation
- Paleogene Germany
- Fossils of Germany
- Eocene mammals of Asia
- Paleogene China
- Fossils of China
- Paleontology in Henan
- Fossil taxa described in 1850
- Prehistoric carnivoran genera