Enhydrocyon
Extinct genus of carnivores
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Enhydrocyon is an extinct genus of bone-crushing borophagine canid which inhabited North America during the Oligocene and Early Miocene, 30.8—20.4 Ma, existing for approximately 11 million years. [1]
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| Enhydrocyon Temporal range: | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Subfamily: | †Hesperocyoninae |
| Genus: | †Enhydrocyon Cope, 1879 |
| Type species | |
| †Enhydrocyon stenocephalus | |
| Species | |
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See text | |
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| Range of Enhydrocyon fossil evidence | |
Description
Enhydrocyon had more specialised and strongly decussating Hunter-Schreger bands (HSBs) compared to earlier canids.[2] It possessed a short snout and deep jaws reminiscent of a jaguar.[3] These features give the skull a shape resembling that of the extant sea otter (Enhydra), prompting the scientific name. Enhydrocyon had an estimated weight of about 10 kilograms (22 lb).[4]
Palaeobiology
Diet
Species of Enhydrocyon were relatively large, powerfully built carnivores.[3] Enhydrocyon was the earliest genus of canid adapted to be specialized predators.[4] The dentition of Enhydrocyon suggests this animal was a hypercarnivore or mesocarnivore.[5]
Species
- †Enhydrocyon basilatus Cope 1879
- †E. crassidens Matthew 1907
- †E. pahinsintewakpa Macdonald 1963
- †E. sectorius Cope 1883
- †E. stenocephalus Cope 1879
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