Adilophontes is an extinct genus of large, mostly carnivorous bone-crushing mammal

Mammal

Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...

s known as bear dog

Bear dog

Amphicyonidae is an extinct family of large terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia and which inhabited North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa from the Middle Eocene subepoch to the Pleistocene epoch 46.2—1.8 Mya, existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:Amphicyonidae was named...

s, of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Amphicyonidae, endemic to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 during the Oligocene

Oligocene

The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...

 to Miocene

Miocene

The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...

, living from 24.8—20.6 Ma and existed for approximately .

Taxonomy

Adilophontes was named by Hunt (2002). Its type is Adilophontes brachykolos. It was assigned to Daphoeninae by Hunt (2002).

Morphology

A single specimen was examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass and was estimated to weigh 68.6 kg (151.2 lb).

Fossil distribution

• Eighteen Mile District, Goshen County, Wyoming ~20.8 Ma.
• Lay Ranch Beds, Goshen County, Wyoming ~20.8 Ma.
• Guernsey, Platte County, Wyoming ~20.9 Ma.