Borophagini
Borophagini is a clade or tribe of the subfamily Borophaginae. This is an extinct group of terrestrial canids that were endemic and widespread throughout North America and Central America which lived during the Geringian stage of the Oligocene epoch to the Zanclean age of the Early Pliocene living 30.8—3.6 Mya existing approximately 27.2 million years.[1]
Borophagini Temporal range: Oligocene-Early Pliocene | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Subfamily: | †Borophaginae |
Tribe: | †Borophagini G. G. Simpson, 1945 |
Range of Borophagini based on fossil distribution |
Biology
Borophagini were short-faced, heavy-jawed canids, usually massive in size. They were primarily carnivores but dentition demonstrates omnivore traits.[2][3]
Taxonomy
Borophagini was named by Simpson (1945)[4] [credited to Simpson because he named Borophaginae]. It was assigned to Borophaginae by Wang et al. (1999)[5] and Wang et al. (2004).[6]
Clade
The clade includes: Cormocyon, Desmocyon, Metatomarctus, Euoplocyon, Psalidocyon, Microtomarctus, Protomarctus, and Tephrocyon.
Subtaxa and sister taxa
The subtaxa or subtribes are: Aelurodontina, Borophagina, and Cynarctina. Phlaocyonini is a sister taxon.
Fossil distribution
With the clade comprising many genus and subtaxa, the distribution of fossil specimens for Borophagini is widespread throughout the entire continent extending from coast to coast as well as Florida to western Oregon to Panama.
Resources
- PaleoBiology Database: Borophagini, Taxonomy, Subtaxa
- Nowak, R. M., Walker's Mammals of the World. Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Press (edited volume) II, 1991
- Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae
- Simpson, George Gaylord (1945). "The Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals". Bulletin of the AMNH. 85. New York. hdl:2246/1104. Cite journal requires
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(help) - Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H.; Taylor, Beryl E. (1999). Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae). Bulletin of the AMNH. 243. New York. hdl:2246/1588.
- Wang, Xiaoming; Wideman, Benjamin C.; Nichols, Ralph; Hanneman, Debra L. (2004). "A new species of Aleurodon (Carnivora, Canidae) from the Barstovian of Montana". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24 (2): 445–452. doi:10.1671/2493. JSTOR 4524730.