Leptocyon

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Leptocyon
Temporal range: Oligocene–Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Caninae
Genus: Leptocyon
Species
  • L. gregorii
  • L. vafer
  • L. vulpinus
Leptocyon range map.png
Fossil range of Leptocyon species.

Leptocyon (Greek: slender dog[1]) is a small extinct genus of canid endemic to North America during the Oligocene through Miocene living from 24.8—10.3 mya, existing for approximately 15.5 million years.[2]

Leptocyon was a small bodied, fox-like animal with a slender jaw.[3]

Taxonomy[edit]

Leptocyon was named by Matthew (1918). It was synonymized subjectively with Vulpes by Gregory (1942); it was revalidated by Webb (1969), Carroll (1988) and Munthe (1998). It was assigned to Canidae by Matthew (1918), Webb (1969), Carroll (1988) and Munthe (1998).[4][5]

Morphology[edit]

Body mass[edit]

Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth. Estimated body mass of these two was 3.26 kg (7.2 lb)[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Leptocyon". About.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015. 
  2. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Leptocyon, basic info
  3. ^ Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America: Terrestrial animals of North America Volume 1, Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulate like Mammals. Christine M. Janis carnivores. Louis L. Jacobs, Kathleen Marie Scott.
  4. ^ J. T. Gregory. 1942. University of California Publications, Bulletin of the Department of Geological Sciences 26(4)
  5. ^ S. D. Webb. 1969. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 78
  6. ^ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology 1(1):85-98

External links[edit]