Borophagina is a hypocarnivorous

Hypocarnivore

A hypocarnivore is an animal that consumes less than 30% meat for its diet, the majority of which consists of nonvertebrate foods that may include fungi, fruits, and other plant material...

 subfamily or clade

Clade

A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...

 of Borophaginae

Borophaginae

The subfamily Borophaginae is an extinct group of canids called "bone crushing dogs" that were endemic to North America during the Oligocene to Pliocene and lived roughly 36—2.5 million years ago and existing for approximately .-Origin:...

, a group of terrestrial

Terrestrial animal

Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...

 canine

Canidae

Canidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...

s which inhabited most of 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 Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene

Early Miocene

The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages....

 subepoch to the Zanclean

Zanclean

The Zanclean is the lowest stage or earliest age on the geologic time scale of the Pliocene. It spans the time between 5.332 and 3.6 Ma ± 0.005 Ma . It is preceded by the Messinian age of the Miocene epoch, and followed by the Piacenzian age....

 stage of the Pliocene

Pliocene

The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...

 epoch 20.6—3.6 Mya existing approximately .

Taxonomy

Borophagina, like other Borophaginae, were a short-faced, heavy-jawed canine usually massive in size. They were primarily carnivore

Carnivore

A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...

s but dentition

Dentition

Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age...

 demonstrates omnivore

Omnivore

Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...

 traits. These animals were actively mobile. Reproduction was viviparous

Vivipary

Vivipary has two different meanings. In animals, it means development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, eventually leading to live birth, as opposed to laying eggs...

Clade

Members of this clade are Paratomarctus

Paratomarctus

Paratomarctus an extinct member of the Borophaginae, subtribe Borophagina, a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America from the Harrisonian stage to Early Barstovian stage of the Miocene epoch living 16.3—5.3 mya, existed for approximately .-Canid competitors:Paratomarctus was one...

Carpocyon

Carpocyon

Carpocyon is an extinct member of the Borophaginae, and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene through the Hemphillian stage of the Late Miocene epoch 20.4—3.9 Mya. Carpocyon existed for approximately .-Taxonomy:Carpocyon was...

, Protepicyon

Protepicyon

Protepicyon is an extinct genus of the family Borophaginae which lived during the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene subepoch living 16.3—13.6 mya, existing for approximately ....

, Epicyon

Epicyon

Epicyon is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae , native to North America. It lived from the Hemingfordian age of the Early Miocene to the Hemphillian of the Late Miocene Epicyon ("near dog") is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae ("bone-crushing dogs"),...

, and Borophagus

Borophagus

Borophagus is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the early Miocene epoch through the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene epoch 23.3—3.6 Mya. Borophagus existed for approximately .-Overview:Borophagus, like other borophagines, are loosely...

.

Subtaxa and sister taxa

Subtaxa are: Borophagus

Borophagus

Borophagus is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the early Miocene epoch through the Zanclean stage of the Pliocene epoch 23.3—3.6 Mya. Borophagus existed for approximately .-Overview:Borophagus, like other borophagines, are loosely...

; (syn. Hyaenognathus, Osteoborus, Pliogulo, Porthocyon), Carpocyon

Carpocyon

Carpocyon is an extinct member of the Borophaginae, and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene through the Hemphillian stage of the Late Miocene epoch 20.4—3.9 Mya. Carpocyon existed for approximately .-Taxonomy:Carpocyon was...

, Epicyon

Epicyon

Epicyon is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae , native to North America. It lived from the Hemingfordian age of the Early Miocene to the Hemphillian of the Late Miocene Epicyon ("near dog") is a large extinct canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae ("bone-crushing dogs"),...

, Paratomarctus

Paratomarctus

Paratomarctus an extinct member of the Borophaginae, subtribe Borophagina, a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America from the Harrisonian stage to Early Barstovian stage of the Miocene epoch living 16.3—5.3 mya, existed for approximately .-Canid competitors:Paratomarctus was one...

, and Protepicyon

Protepicyon

Protepicyon is an extinct genus of the family Borophaginae which lived during the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene subepoch living 16.3—13.6 mya, existing for approximately ....

. Sister taxa are: Aelurodontina and Cynarctina

Cynarctina

Cynarctina is an extinct hypocarnivorous canine sub-tribe clade of Borophaginae . Cynarctina lived during the Hemingfordian stage of Early Miocene through Clarendonian stage of the Middle Miocene 20.6—10.3 Ma, existing for approximately ....

.