Cynodesmus: Difference between revisions

Cynodesmus; Temporal range: Late Oligocene to Early Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	†Hesperocyoninae
Genus:	†Cynodesmus; Scott, 1895
Type species
	†Cynodesmus thooides;
Species
	†C. martini; †C. thooides;

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Cynodesmus is an extinct genus of canine which inhabited North America 34 Mya to 25 Mya (Wang, 1994).

The 1 m (3 ft 4 in) long creature was one of the first canids to truly look dog-like. It probably looked like the modern coyote, but had a shorter skull, heavier tail and longer rump. Also, Cynodesmus was not a very good runner compared to most other canids; it probably attacked prey from an ambush. Like felids, it could (partially) retract its claws.

Taxonomy

Cynodesmus once included numerous species of Oligocene and Miocene canid with highly carnivorous (hypercarnivorous) dentitions. A revision of the genus by Wang (1994) indicates that most species previously placed in Cynodesmus are unrelated to the type species, C. thooides. These other species have been placed the genera Carpocyon, Desmocyon, Leptocyon, Metatomarctus, Osbornodon, Otarocyon, Paracynarctus, Paratomarctus, and Phlaocyon (Wang, 1994; Wang et al., 1999). Of these, only Osbornodon belongs in the same subfamily as Cynodesmus, Hesperocyoninae. The remaining genera are placed in the subfamilies Borophaginae and Caninae.

With unrelated species removed, Cynodesmus is currently restricted to the type species and the closely related C. martini (Wang, 1994).

Studies using the old conception of Cynodesmus considered it to be the ancestor of Tomarctus (16-23 Ma) from which wolves, dogs, foxes and fennecs developed. The Cynodesmus is a good example of convergent evolution because of other species such as the Borophagus, the largest and most dominant canids of this Pliocene epoch, both of which evolved from it.^[1]

References

^ North American Coyote

Wang, X. 1994. Phylogenetic systematics of the Hesperocyoninae (Carnivora, Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 221:1-207.
Wang, X., R.H. Tedford, and B.E. Taylor. 1999. Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 243:1-391.

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[1] North American Coyote

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Taxobox
+|name = ''Cynodesmus''
+|fossil_range = Late [[Oligocene]] to Early [[Miocene]]
+|regnum = [[Animal]]ia
+|phylum = [[Chordata]]
+|classis = [[Mammalia]]
+|ordo = [[Carnivora]]
+|familia = [[Canidae]]
+|subfamilia = †[[Hesperocyoninae]]
+|genus = †'''''Cynodesmus'''''
+|genus_authority = [[William Berryman Scott|Scott]], 1895
+|type_species = †''Cynodesmus thooides''
+|subdivision_ranks = Species
+|subdivision =
+* †''C. martini''
+* †''C. thooides''
+<!-- * ''C. noblis''
+* ''C. ''Paradaphoenus'' these belong in the Osbornodon taxobox-->
+}}
+'''''Cynodesmus''''' is an extinct genus of canine which inhabited [[North America]] 34 [[mya (unit)|Mya]] to 25 Mya (Wang, 1994).
+The 1 m (3 ft 4 in) long creature was one of the first [[canidae|canids]] to truly look dog-like. It probably looked like the modern [[coyote]], but had a shorter [[skull]], heavier [[tail]] and longer rump. Also, ''Cynodesmus'' was not a very good runner compared to most other canids; it probably attacked prey from an ambush. Like [[Felidae|felids]], it could (partially) retract its [[claw]]s.
+== Taxonomy ==
+''Cynodesmus'' once included numerous species of [[Oligocene]] and [[Miocene]] canid with highly carnivorous ([[hypercarnivore|hypercarnivorous]]) [[dentition]]s. A revision of the genus by Wang (1994) indicates that most species previously placed in ''Cynodesmus'' are unrelated to the [[Biological type|type]] species, ''C. thooides''. These other species have been placed the genera ''[[Carpocyon]]'', ''[[Desmocyon]]'', ''[[Leptocyon]]'', ''[[Metatomarctus]]'', ''[[Osbornodon]]'', ''[[Otarocyon]]'', ''[[Paracynarctus]]'', ''[[Paratomarctus]]'', and ''[[Phlaocyon]]'' (Wang, 1994; Wang et al., 1999). Of these, only ''Osbornodon'' belongs in the same [[subfamily]] as ''Cynodesmus'', [[Hesperocyoninae]]. The remaining genera are placed in the subfamilies [[Borophaginae]] and [[Caninae]].
+With unrelated species removed, ''Cynodesmus'' is currently restricted to the type species and the closely related ''C. martini'' (Wang, 1994).
+<!-- Species: ''Osbornodon iamonensis''. Syn species: (''Cynodesmus nobilis'', ''Paradaphoenus tropicalis)'', ''Osbornodon  renjiei,'' ''Osbornodon  scitulus,'' ''Osbornodon  sesnoni,'' ''Osbornodon  wangi).''<ref>[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=49463 Osbornodon iamonensis (see genus ''Osbornodon'')]</ref> this is about Osbornodon, so its been moved there-->
+Studies using the old conception of ''Cynodesmus'' considered it to be the ancestor of ''[[Tomarctus]]'' (16-23 Ma) from which [[wolf|wolves]], [[dog]]s, [[fox]]es and [[fennec]]s developed. The ''Cynodesmus'' is a good example of [[convergent evolution]] because of other species such as the ''[[Borophagus]]'', the largest and most dominant canids of this [[Pliocene]] epoch, both of which evolved from it.<ref>[http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall01%20projects/coyote.htm North American Coyote]</ref>
+==References==
+<references />
+*Wang, X. 1994. [http://hdl.handle.net/2246/829 Phylogenetic systematics of the Hesperocyoninae (Carnivora, Canidae)]. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 221:1-207.
 *Wang, X., R.H. Tedford, and B.E. Taylor. 1999. [http://hdl.handle.net/2246/1588 Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae)]. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 243:1-391.