Otarocyon
| Otarocyon Temporal range:
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| Genus: | †Otarocyon Wang, Tedford, & Taylor, 1999
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| Type species | |
| †Cynodesmus cooki | |
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Otarocyon ("large eared dog") is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Orellan stage (33.9 Mya) through Geringian stage (26.3 Mya) of the Oligocene epoch.[1]
Taxonomy
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 an omnivorous 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, but they suggest that Otarocyon may have been similar in its appearance and habits.[2]
Species
Two species of Otarocyon are known, O. macdonaldi from the early Oligocene (2 mya: Orellan NALMA), and O. cooki from the late Oligocene (6 mya: Arikareean NALMA). 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.
Sister genera
Archaeocyon, Oxetocyon, Rhizocyon
Fossil distribution
Fossils of Otarocyon have been collected from the Oligocene of South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming.