Phlaocyonini †

Extinction

In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...

 is a hypocarnivorous 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...

 or tribe 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:...

. This is an extinct group of canids that were 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...

 and which lived 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...

 epoch (Whitneyan

Whitneyan

The Whitneyan North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 33,300,000 to 30,800,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to fall within the Early Oligocene...

 stage) to the 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...

 (Early Barstovian

Barstovian

The Barstovian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 16,300,000 to 13,600,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Langhian and Serravallian...

) living ~33.3–5.3 Ma, existing for approximately .

Phlaocyonini

The clade includes Cynarctoides

Cynarctoides

Cynarctoides is an extinct genus of terrestrial canine of the family Borophaginae and tribe Phlaocyonini which inhabited most of North America during the Whitneyan stage of the Early Oligocene to the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene 33.3—13.6 Mya existing approximately .-Origin:Cynarctoides...

and Phlaocyon

Phlaocyon

Phlaocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Whitneyan stage of the Early Oligocene through Late Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene epoch 33.3—16.3 Mya existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:Phlaocyon was about in...

. These two genus members represent differing approaches of hypocarnivory. The Cynarctoides trend toward having molar

Molar (tooth)

Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....

 teeth with crowns formed of crescent-shaped cusp

Cusp (dentistry)

A cusp is an occlusal or incisal eminence on a tooth.Canine teeth, otherwise known as cuspids, each possess a single cusp, while premolars, otherwise known as bicuspids, possess two each. Molars normally possess either four or five cusps...

s and remain small in size. Phlaocyon specialize toward rounded cusps on the molar teeth but of increasing size, with an unusual trend toward being hypercarnivore

Hypercarnivore

A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat, with the balance consisting of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material. Some examples include the big cats, dolphins, eagles, snakes, marlin, most sharks, and such invertebrates as octopuses and sea...

s by two terminal species in the clade.

Four transitional species of Cormocyon

Cormocyon

Cormocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Geringian stage of the Paleogene through Harrisonian stage of the Oligocene epoch living 30.8—20.6 Mya, existing for about ....

and Desmocyon

Desmocyon

Desmocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Harrisonian stage of the Late Oligocene through Early Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene epoch living 24.8—16.3 Mya existing for approximately .-Fossil record:It is a...

occupy intermediate positions between the Phlaocyonini 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 ....

. These represent a gradual size increase toward medium-size individuals.

Fossil distribution

A few of many sites:

• Wewela Site, Turtle Butte Formation, Tripp County, South Dakota
  Tripp County, South Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 6,430 people, 2,550 households, and 1,721 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 3,036 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
  
   (Phlaocyon
  Phlaocyon
  Phlaocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Whitneyan stage of the Early Oligocene through Late Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene epoch 33.3—16.3 Mya existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:Phlaocyon was about in...
  
   minor) ~30.8—20.6 Ma.
• Brooksville 2 Site, Hernando County, Florida
  Hernando County, Florida
  Hernando County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 130,802. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 165,409 . Its county seat is Brooksville, Florida. The majority of the county's population is in Spring Hill, west portion of Hernando...
  
   (Phlaocyon taylori) ~26.3—24.8 Ma.
• Split Rock Site, Arikaree Formation, Fremont County, Wyoming, (Cynarctoides
  Cynarctoides
  Cynarctoides is an extinct genus of terrestrial canine of the family Borophaginae and tribe Phlaocyonini which inhabited most of North America during the Whitneyan stage of the Early Oligocene to the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene 33.3—13.6 Mya existing approximately .-Origin:Cynarctoides...
  
  ) ~20.6—16.3 Ma.
• Cedar Run Site, Oakville Formation, Washington County, Texas (Phlaocyon
  Phlaocyon
  Phlaocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Whitneyan stage of the Early Oligocene through Late Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene epoch 33.3—16.3 Mya existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:Phlaocyon was about in...
  
  ) ~20.3—5.3 Ma.
• Nambe Site, Tesuque Formation, Santa Fe County, New Mexico
  Santa Fe County, New Mexico
  -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*76.2% White*0.9% Black*3.1% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*14.9% Other races*50.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
  
  , (Cynarctoides acridens) ~20.3—5.3 Ma.