Paratomarctus

Paratomarctus
Temporal range: Middle Miocene–Late Miocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: †Borophaginae
Tribe: †Borophagini
Subtribe: †Borophagina
Genus: †Paratomarctus
Wang et al., 1999
Species:
†P. temerarius
Binomial name
†Paratomarctus temerarius
Leidy 1858
Range of Paratomarctus based on fossil distribution

Paratomarctus is an extinct monospecific genus of the Borophaginae subfamily of canids native to North America. It lived from the Middle to Late Miocene, 16.3 – 5.3 mya, existing for approximately 11 million years.[1] It was about the size of a coyote, and was probably a generalised predator, without the specialised adaptations of most later borophagines.[2]

Paratomarctus was one of the last of the Borophaginae and shared its habitat with other canids, including Borophagus, Epicyon, Carpocyon, Aelurodon, and the true canine, Canis lepophagus. Fossils have been uncovered throughout most of the western United States.

References

  1. ^ Paleobiology Database: Paratomarctus
  2. ^ Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H. (2008). Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. Columbia. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-231-13528-3.


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