Amphicyoninae is a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of extinct

bear-dogs Amphicyonidae is an extinct family of terrestrial carnivorans belonging to the suborder Caniformia. They first appeared in North America in the middle Eocene (around 45 mya), spread to Europe by the late Eocene (35 mya), and appear in Asia, an ...

, large

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

carnivore A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...

s belonging to the

suborder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

Caniformia Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include dogs (wolves, foxes, etc.), bears, raccoons, and mustelids. The Pinnipedia (seals, walruses and sea lions) are also assigned to this group. ...

and which inhabited

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

, and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

from ~37.2—2.6 Ma. Amphicyoninae existed for approximately ~. Amphicyoninae was named by Trouessart (1885). It was assigned to Canidae by Matthew (1902); to

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 Nort ...

by Ginsburg (1977); and to Amphicyonidae by Hunt (1998). Genera include: *''

Agnotherium ''Agnotherium'' is a genus of large sized carnivoran mammals, belonging to the Amphicyonidae ("bear dogs"), which has been found in Western Europe, and possibly Northern Africa, and lived during the Late Miocene epoch. Despite only being known f ...

'', found in both Europe and N. Africa *''

Amphicyon ''Amphicyon'' ("ambiguous dog") is an extinct genus of large carnivorous bone-crushing mammals, popularly known as bear dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae, subfamily Amphicyoninae, from the Burdigalian Epoch until the late Pliocene, with the creat ...

'', found in both Europe and N. America *''

Cynelos '' Cynelos'' is a large extinct genus of bear dogs which inhabited North America, Europe, and Africa from the Early Miocene subepoch to the Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up ...

'', synonyms include ''Absonodaphoenus'' (from Florida) and ''Hecubides'' (from Africa), endemic to N. America *'' Cynodictis'' *''

Ischyrocyon ''Ischyrocyon'' is an extinct genus of bear dogs, of the subfamily Amphicyoninae, which inhabited North America during the Late Miocene. It lived ~13.6—10.3 Ma ago, existing for approximately . Behavior In a study published in 2020, examin ...

'', ''Hadrocyon'' is a synonym, endemic to N. America *''

Goupilictis ''Goupilictis minor'' is a prehistoric species of mammal in the family Amphicyonidae. There is only one known species in the genus ''Goupilictis''. Description ''Goupilictis'' lived in the Oligocene and Miocene ages, about 28.4-5.332 milli ...

'' *''

Magericyon ''Magericyon'' is an extinct genus of Amphicyonid ("bear-dog") that lived during the Miocene 10-9 Ma (Vallesian Age) in what is now Spain. Description The appearance of this animal was vaguely similar to that of a particularly robust, large fel ...

'' *''

Pliocyon ''Pliocyon'' is an extinct genus of bear dogs which inhabited North America during the Middle Miocene 16.0—13.6 Ma, existing for approximately . Fossils have been uncovered in South Florida, Oregon, and western Nebraska Nebraska () is ...

'', endemic to N. America *''

Pseudocyon ''Pseudocyon'' (False dog) is a genus of bear dog which inhabited Eurasia and North America during the Miocene epoch living approximately . ''Pseudocyon'' was assigned to Amphicyoninae by Hunt in 1988 and to Amphicyonidae by Lartet (1851), Carro ...

'', ''Amphicyonopsis'' is a synonym, endemic to Europe and N. America *''

Ysengrinia ''Ysengrinia'' is an extinct genus of carnivoran in the family Amphicyonidae (beardogs), which lived in Europe, Asia, and North America during the Early Miocene. It was also reported from Egypt and Namibia, but this material has been reassigned ...

'', found in both Europe and N. America

Fossil distribution

Specimens have been recovered from: *

Midway Site Midway often refers to: * Midway (fair), a place at a fair or circus where rides, entertainment, and booths are concentrated * Midway Atoll, also called Midway Island, a low-lying coral atoll in the central Pacific Ocean *Naval Air Facility Midway ...

Gadsden County, Florida Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,826. Its county seat is Quincy. Gadsden County is included in the Tallahassee, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ga ...

~18.9—18.8 Ma. *Rabbitt Creek Site,

Meagher County, Montana Meagher County (pronounced Marr) is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,927. Its county seat is White Sulphur Springs. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2010 center of pop ...

~21.7—18 Ma. * Grimes Landing Site,

King William County, Virginia King William County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,810. Its county seat is King William. King William County is located in the Middle Peninsula and is included in the Greater R ...

~17.6 Ma. *Arrisdrift,

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

~23.03—11.6 Ma. *Les Beilleaux,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

~20—16.9 Ma.

References

Bear dogs Oligocene carnivorans Miocene carnivorans Zanclean extinctions Aquitanian first appearances {{paleo-carnivora-stub