Otarocyon: Difference between revisions

Otarocyon; Temporal range: Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Skull of Otarocyon cooki
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	†Borophaginae
Genus:	†Otarocyon; Wang, Tedford, & Taylor, 1999
Type species
	†Cynodesmus cooki;
Species
	†O. cooki; †O. macdonaldi;
	Range of Otarocyon based on fossil distribution

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Otarocyon ("large eared dog") is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae subfamily of canids native to North America. It lived during the Oligocene epoch, about 33.3—20.6 Ma (million years ago).^[1] Fossils have been found only in Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota.^[2]

Otarocyon was a small borophagine characterized by a short, broad skull, a specialized middle ear, simple, tall premolar teeth, and molars that are incipiently adapted to a hypocarnivorous diet. Despite its Oligocene age, the skull of Otarocyon shows several striking similarities to the living fennec fox, particularly in the structure of its middle ear. The similarities are probably convergent, but they suggest that Otarocyon may have been similar in its appearance and habits.^[3]

Species[edit]

O. macdonaldi Wang et al. 1999, Early Oligocene
O. cooki Macdonald 1963, Late Oligocene

In addition to its earlier age, O. macdonaldi differs from O. cooki in being smaller and in showing lesser development of the specializations that characterize the genus. O. macdonaldi is also the earliest known member of the subfamily Borophaginae, although the later appearing Archaeocyon was more primitive.^[2]

References[edit]

^ PaleoBiology Database: Otarocyon Taxonomy, Species
^ ^a ^b Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H. (2008). Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. Columbia. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-231-13528-3.
^ Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae)

[1] PaleoBiology Database: Otarocyon Taxonomy, Species

[Wang2008-2] Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H. (2008). Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. Columbia. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-231-13528-3.

[3] Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae)

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Extinct genus of carnivores}}
 {{Automatic taxobox
-| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Early Oligocene|Late Oligocene}}
+| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Oligocene}}
+| image = Otarocyon cooki.jpeg
+| image_caption = Skull of ''Otarocyon cooki''
 | taxon = Otarocyon
 | authority = Wang, Tedford, & Taylor, 1999
@@ Line 12: / Line 15: @@
 }}
-'''''Otarocyon''''' ("large eared dog") is an extinct genus of the family [[Borophaginae]] ("bone-crushing dog"). It was a [[Terrestrial animal|terrestrial]] [[Canidae|canine]] which was small in size endemic to [[North America]] during the [[Orellan]] and [[Geringian]] stages of the [[Oligocene]] epoch, about 33.3—20.6 Ma (million years ago).<ref>[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=41227&is_real_user=1 PaleoBiology Database: ''Otarocyon'' Taxonomy, Species]</ref>
+'''''Otarocyon''''' ("large eared dog") is an extinct genus of the [[Borophaginae]] subfamily of [[canid]]s native to [[North America]]. It lived during the [[Oligocene]] epoch, about 33.3—20.6 Ma (million years ago).<ref>[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=41227&is_real_user=1 PaleoBiology Database: ''Otarocyon'' Taxonomy, Species]</ref> Fossils have been found only in [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], and [[South Dakota]].<ref name=Wang2008/>
+''Otarocyon'' was a small borophagine characterized by a short, broad [[skull]], a specialized [[middle ear]], simple, tall [[premolar]] teeth, and [[molar (tooth)|molars]] that are incipiently adapted to a [[hypocarnivore|hypocarnivorous]] diet. Despite its Oligocene age, the skull of ''Otarocyon'' shows several striking similarities to the living [[fennec fox]], particularly in the structure of its middle ear. The similarities are probably [[Convergent evolution|convergent]], but they suggest that ''Otarocyon'' may have been similar in its appearance and habits.<ref>[http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/Wangetal1999borophaginemonographpart1.pdf Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae)]</ref>
-==Taxonomy==
-''Otarocyon'' was a small borophagine characterized by a short, broad [[skull]], a specialized [[middle ear]], simple, tall [[premolar]] teeth, and [[molar (tooth)|molars]] that are incipiently adapted to a [[hypocarnivore]] diet. Despite its Oligocene age, the skull of ''Otarocyon'' shows several striking similarities to the living [[fennec fox]] (''Vulpes zerda''), particularly in the structure of its middle ear. The similarities are probably [[Convergent evolution|convergent]], but they suggest that ''Otarocyon'' may have been similar in its appearance and habits.<ref>[http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/Wangetal1999borophaginemonographpart1.pdf Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae)]</ref>
-==Morphology==
-Fossil specimens of two individuals' [[body mass]] were examined by Legendre and Roth.<ref>S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology</ref>
-*Specimen 1: {{Convert|0.689|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}
-*Specimen 2: {{Convert|0.747|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}
 ==Species==
+*''O. macdonaldi'' <small>Wang ''et al.'' 1999</small>,  Early Oligocene
-*'''''O. macdonaldi''''' from the early Oligocene ({{Mya|34-32|mya}}, [[Orellan]] stage. Two specimens weighed {{Convert|0.703|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} and {{Convert|0.761|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}).
+*''O. cooki'' <small>Macdonald 1963</small>, Late Oligocene
-*'''''O. cooki''''' from the late Oligocene ({{Mya|30-24|mya}}, [[Arikareean]] stage. Two specimens weighed {{Convert|0.558|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} and {{Convert|0.761|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}).
-In addition to its earlier age, ''O. macdonaldi'' differs from ''O. cooki'' in being smaller and in showing lesser development of the specializations that characterize the genus. ''O. macdonaldi'' is also the earliest known member of the subfamily Borophaginae, although the later appearing ''[[Archaeocyon]]'' was more primitive.
+In addition to its earlier age, ''O. macdonaldi'' differs from ''O. cooki'' in being smaller and in showing lesser development of the specializations that characterize the genus. ''O. macdonaldi'' is also the earliest known member of the subfamily Borophaginae, although the later appearing ''[[Archaeocyon]]'' was more primitive.<ref name=Wang2008>{{cite book |last1= Wang |first1= Xiaoming | last2= Tedford | first2= Richard H. | date= 2008 |title= Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History |publisher= Columbia |page= 35 |isbn= 978-0-231-13528-3}}</ref>
-==Sister genera==
-''[[Archaeocyon]]'', ''[[Oxetocyon]]'' and ''[[Rhizocyon]]''.
-==Fossil distribution==
-*Cooper Gulch Locality No .1, [[Toston Formation]], [[Lewis and Clark County, Montana]] ~33.9—33.3 Ma.
-*Big Muddy Creek Site, [[Goshen County, Wyoming]] ~30.8—20.6 Ma.
-*Godsell Ranch Site (SDSM V-5410), [[Sharps Formation]], [[Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota]] ~30.8—26.3 Ma.
-*Sharps Site (SDSM V-5359), Sharps Formation, Shannon County, South Dakota. ~30.8—26.3 Ma.
-*Little Muddy Creek Site, [[Niobrara County, Wyoming]], ~30.8—20.6 Ma.
 == References ==
 {{Reflist}}
-{{Canidae extinct nav}}
+{{Canidae extinct nav|state=collapsed}}
 {{Taxonbar|from=Q583006}}
 [[Category:Borophagines]]
-[[Category:Oligocene carnivorans]]
+[[Category:Oligocene canids]]
 [[Category:Chattian genus extinctions]]
 [[Category:Oligocene mammals of North America]]
-[[Category:Prehistoric mammal genera]]
+[[Category:Prehistoric carnivoran genera]]
 [[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1999]]