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Agriotherium Maraghanus Mandible
''Agriotherium'' is an extinct genus of bears whose fossils are found in Miocene through Pleistocene-aged strata of North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. This long-lived genus persisted from at least ~11.6–2.5 Mya. Materials from the late-surviving ''A. africanum'' in Africa have suggested that ''A. africanum'' died out during the early Gelasian. Description and diet ''A. africanum'' measured around in body length and weighed up to , making it larger than most living bears; however, mass estimates vary, with further studies presenting a lower mass estimate of . Along with other large bears such as the cave bear, short-faced bears ''Arctodus'' and ''Arctotherium'', and an extinct subspecies of the modern polar bear ''Ursus maritimus tyrannus'', ''Agriotherium'' was among the largest known terrestrial members of Carnivora. They had longer legs and shorter faces than other bears, and were more lightly built. Their wide, short jaws could generate enormous bite force. It is not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ursidae
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with stocky legs, long snouts, small rounded ears, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails. While the polar bear is mostly carnivorous, and the giant panda feeds almost entirely on bamboo, the remaining six species are omnivorous with varied diets. With the exception of courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They may be diurnal or nocturnal and have an excellent sense of smell. Despite their heavy build and awkward gait, they are adept runners, climbers, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spotted Hyena
The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN on account of its widespread range and large numbers estimated between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals. The species is, however, experiencing declines outside of protected areas due to habitat loss and poaching. The species may have originated in Asia, and once ranged throughout Europe for at least one million years until the end of the Late Pleistocene. The spotted hyena is the largest known member of the Hyaenidae, and is further physically distinguished from other species by its vaguely bear-like build, its rounded ears, its less prominent mane, its spotted pelt, its more dual-purposed dentition, its fewer nipples and the presence of a #Female genitalia, pseudo-penis in the female. It is the only placental mammalian species where females ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. The county population was 725,046, as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Bartow, and its largest city is Lakeland. Polk County comprises the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. This MSA is the 81st-most populous metropolitan statistical area and the 89th-most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012. The center of population of Florida is located in Polk County, near the city of Lake Wales. Polk County is home to one public university, one state college, and four private universities. History Early history The first people to inhabit the area now called Polk County were the Paleoindians who arrived in Florida at least 12,000 years ago, late in the last ice age. With large amounts of water locked up in continental ice caps, the sea level was more than lower than at present. The Florida peninsula was twice as wide as it is today, and Flor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bone Valley Formation
The Bone Valley Formation is a geologic formation in Florida. It is sometimes classified as the upper member of the Peace River Formation of the Hawthorn Group. It contains economically important phosphorite deposits that are mined in west-central Florida, as well as rich assemblages of vertebrate fossils. Lithology The Bone Valley Formation consists of sandy marl that contains pebbles of phosphate and chert, fragments of bone, and other organic remains. The finer grained material is soft and plastic when wet, but hardens when dry.Matson, G.C. and Clapp, F.G. 1909. A preliminary report on the geology of Florida with special reference to the stratigraphy. Florida Geological Survey Annual Report, no. 2, p. 13-173. Age The Bone Valley Formation contains mammal fossils and its age has been determined by mammalian biostratigraphy. Period: Neogene Epoch: Middle Miocene to Early Pliocene North American land mammal age: Barstovian to HemphillianMorgan, G.S. 1993. Mammalian biochronology a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbourofelis
''Barbourofelis'' is an extinct genus of large, predatory, feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Barbourofelidae (false saber-tooth cats). The genus was endemic to North America and Eurasia during the Miocene until its extinction during the Tortonian, living from 13.6 to 7.3 Ma. Taxonomy ''Barbourofelis'' was named by Bertrand Schultz, Marian Schultz and Larry Martin (1970) in honor of Erwin Hinckley Barbour, who died a few days before the holotype was discovered. Its type is ''Barbourofelis fricki'' and is the type genus of the subfamily Barbourofelinae. It was reassigned to Hoplophoneinae by Flynn and Galiano (1982), then to Barbourofelidae by Bryant (1991), and to Nimravidae by Schultz, et al. (1970) and Martin (1998). Description While the species ''B. fricki'' is thought to have been a lion-sized predator, having a weight comparable to an African lion, with limb bones indicating a muscular, robust body, other species in the genus, such as ''B. morrisi'', are b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epicyon
''Epicyon'' ("more than a dog") is a large, extinct, canid genus of the subfamily Borophaginae ("bone-crushing dogs"), native to North America. ''Epicyon'' existed for about from the Hemingfordian age of the Early Miocene, to the Hemphillian of the Late Miocene. ''Epicyon'' is the largest known canid of all time, with the type species reaching 2.4 m (7.9 ft) in length, 90 cm (35 in) in shoulder height and approximately 100–125 kg (220–276 lb) in body mass. The largest known humerus specimen belonged to an individual weighing up to . Description ''Epicyon'' had a massive head and powerful jaws that were well adapted for bone-crushing, with enlarged fourth premolars like some hyenas, giving its skull a lion-like shape rather than having a skull similar in shape to that of a wolf; the adaptation would have allowed ''Epicyon'' to scavenge as well as hunt, giving it access to the nutritious marrow other contemporary carnivores couldn't access. ''Epic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canidae
Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a biological family of dog-like carnivorans, colloquially referred to as dogs, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). There are three subfamilies found within the canid family, which are the extinct Borophaginae and Hesperocyoninae, and the extant Caninae. The Caninae are known as canines, and include domestic dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals and other extant and extinct species. Canids are found on all continents except Antarctica, having arrived independently or accompanied human beings over extended periods of time. Canids vary in size from the gray wolf to the fennec fox. The body forms of canids are similar, typically having long muzzles, upright ears, teeth adapted for cracking bones and slicing flesh, long legs, and bushy tails. They are mostly social animals, living together in family units or small groups and behaving cooperatively. Typically, only the dominant pair in a group bree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amphimachairodus
''Amphimachairodus'' is an extinct genus of large machairodonts. It is also a member of the tribe Homotherini within Machairodontinae and is most closely related to such species as ''Xenosmilus'', ''Homotherium'' itself, and ''Nimravides''. It inhabited Eurasia, Northern Africa and North America during the late Miocene epoch. Description There was marked sexual dimorphism in ''A. giganteus'', with males being much larger than females. The species ''Amphimachairodus coloradensis'', from the United States (formerly ''Machairodus coloradensis'') was a significantly large animal, about at the shoulder, according to skeletal and life reconstructions, potentially making it one of the largest known felids. All ''Amphimachairodus'' species have a developed mandibular flange, however, ''A. colaradensis'' is distinguishable from ''A. giganteus'' and ''A. kurteni'' by subtle differences in the shape of the mandible and placement of lower carnassials. In size and proportions, the Eurasian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Machairodontinae
Machairodontinae is an extinct subfamily of carnivoran mammals of the family Felidae (true cats). They were found in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe from the Miocene to the Pleistocene, living from about 16 million until about 11,000 years ago. The Machairodontinae contain many of the extinct predators commonly known as "saber-toothed cats", including the famed genus ''Smilodon'', as well as other cats with only minor increases in the size and length of their maxillary canines. The name means "dagger-tooth", from Greek μάχαιρα (''machaira''), sword. Sometimes, other carnivorous mammals with elongated teeth are also called saber-toothed cats, although they do not belong to the felids. Besides the machairodonts, other saber-toothed predators also arose in the Nimravidae, nimravids, Barbourofelidae, barbourofelids, Machaeroidinae, machaeroidines, Hyaenodonta, hyaenodonts and even in two groups of metatherians (the Thylacosmilidae, thylacosmilid Spara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hypercarnivore
A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat, either via active predation or by scavenging. The remaining non-meat diet may consist of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material. Some extant examples of hypercarnivorous animals include crocodilians, owls, shrikes, eagles, vultures, felids, most wild canids, dolphins, snakes, spiders, scorpions, mantises, marlins, groupers, piranhas and most sharks. Every species in the family Felidae, including the domesticated cat, is a hypercarnivore in its natural state. Additionally, this term is also used in paleobiology to describe taxa of animals which have an increased slicing component of their dentition relative to the grinding component. Hypercarnivores need not be apex predators. For example, salmon are exclusively carnivorous, yet they are prey at all stages of life for a variety of organisms. Many prehistoric mammals of the clade Carnivoramorpha (Carnivora and Miacoidea without C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Predation
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually). It is distinct from scavenging on dead prey, though many predators also scavenge; it overlaps with herbivory, as seed predators and destructive frugivores are predators. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often concealed. When prey is detected, the predator assesses whether to attack it. This may involve ambush or pursuit predation, sometimes after stalking the prey. If the attack is successful, the predator kills the prey, removes any inedible parts like the shell or spines, and eats it. Predators are adapted and often highly specialized for hunting, with acute senses such as vision, hearing, or smell. Many predatory animals, both vertebrate and inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hemicyon
''Hemicyon'', also known as the "dog-bear" (literally "half dog", from Greek (half) + (dog)), is an extinct genus of hemicyonine bear, which probably originated in Eurasia but was found in Europe, Asia and North America during the Miocene epoch (), existing for approximately . ''Hemicyon'' is the best-known genus in the Hemicyoninae, a subfamily intermediate between bears and their canid ancestors but most often classified as bears. Hemicyonid bears should not be confused with Amphicyonids (bear-dogs), which are their own separate family of carnivores. Morphology ''Hemicyon'' was about long, and tall, with and carnassial blades on its teeth for cutting meat. ''Hemicyon'' is widely accepted to have been hypercarnivorous and highly predaceous. Unlike modern bears, ''Hemicyon'' walked on its toes; it was not plantigrade, but digitigrade, with long metapodials. This suggests that ''Hemicyon'' must have been an active hunter and a good runner, and presumably hunted by pu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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_with_its_prey.jpg "Click for more on -> Predation")