''Daphoenus'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

bear dog 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, a ...

s. ''Daphoenus'' 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 ...

from the

Middle Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "dawn ...

to the

Middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma to 11.608 ± 0.005 Ma (million y ...

, 37.2—16.0 Mya, existing for approximately .

Species

''D. hartshornianus'' fossils found in Oligocene

Orellan The Orellan North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), 34-32 million years ago. It is usually considered to fall within the Early Oligocene ...

rocks in the Lower Nodular Zone,

Pennington County, South Dakota Pennington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,222, making it the second-most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Rapid City. The county was created in 1875, and wa ...

are dated at ~33.4 Ma. Other sites include the Prairie Dog Creek Site and Warbonnet Creek Site,

Sioux County, Nebraska Sioux County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 1,311. Its county seat is Harrison, Nebraska, Harrison. Sioux County is included in the Scottsbluff, Nebrask ...

~33.4 Ma., Bartlett High Site,

Dawes County, Nebraska Dawes County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 9,182. Its county seat is Chadron. The county was formed in 1885; it was named for James W. Dawes, the Nebraska Governor at the time ...

~33.2 Ma., Babby Butte Site,

Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota Oglala Lakota County (known as Shannon County until May 2015) is a county in southwestern South Dakota, United States. The population was 13,672 at the 2020 census. Oglala Lakota County does not have a functioning county seat; Hot Springs in ne ...

~33.4 Ma—33.2 Ma. ''D. lambei'' fossils found in Eocene

Duchesnean The Duchesnean North American Stage on the geologic timescale is a North American Land Mammal Age (NALMA), with an age from 42 to 38 million years BP, representing . It falls within the Eocene epoch. The Duchesnean is preceded by the Uintan and ...

rocks at the Big Red Horizon Site,

Presidio County, Texas Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,131. Its county seat is Marfa. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1875. Presidio County (K-5 in Texas topological ind ...

are dated at ~38.4—38.3 Ma. Other sites include the Badwater Locality 20 Site and Wood Locality Site,

Natrona County, Wyoming Natrona County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 79,955, making it the second-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Casper, Wyoming, Casper. ...

~41.8 Ma., Lac Pelletier Lower Fauna Site,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

~42.3 Ma. ''D. ruber'' fossils were found in Oligocene

Arikareean The Arikareean North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), typically set from 30,600,000 to 20,800,000 years BP, a period of . It is usuall ...

rocks in the Tecuya Canyon Formation of

Kern County, California Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County comprise ...

with other mammal species and are dated at ~29.8—24.8 Ma. ''D. socialis'' fossils found in Oligocene

rocks at the Haystack Member,

Wheeler County, Oregon Wheeler County is a county in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,451, making it Oregon's least populous county. It is named in honor of , an early settler who owned a farm near Mitchell. The county seat is ...

are dated at ~24.3 Ma. and Kimberly Member,

Grant County, Oregon Grant County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,233, making it Oregon's fourth-least populous county. The county seat is Canyon City. It is named for President Ulysses S. Grant ...

with several other species of mammal such as ''

Hesperocyon ''Hesperocyon'' is an extinct genus of canids (subfamily Hesperocyoninae, family Canidae) that was endemic to North America, ranging from southern Canada to Colorado. It appeared during the Uintan age, – Bridgerian age (NALMA) of the Mid-Eocene ...

'', ''

Hypertragulus ''Hypertragulus'' is an extinct genus of hypertragulid ruminant endemic to North America. It lived from the Late Eocene to the Middle Miocene, living , existing for approximately . ''Hypertragulus'' were primitive and ancient ruminants, resemb ...

'', and ''

Leptomeryx ''Leptomeryx'' is an extinct genus of ruminant of the family Leptomerycidae, endemic to North America during the Eocene through Oligocene 38–24.8 Mya, existing for approximately . It was a small deer-like ruminant with somewhat slender body. ...

'' dating ~25.4—25.3 Ma.

Description

''Daphoenus'', like the rest of its family, was called a "bear dog" because it had characteristics of both bears and dogs. These animals were about the size of the present day coyote. ''Daphoenus vetus'' was the largest species. The male skulls could reach up to in length. ''Daphoenus'' had short legs, and could only make quick sprints; it was not capable of running long distances. It is thought that these animals ambushed their prey, and did some scavenging. Fossil footprints suggested that, like present-day bears, these animals walked in a flat-footed way. ''Daphoenus'' dug burrows for their offspring to stay in and hide from their prey.

Distribution

''Daphoenus'' fossils found in late Oligocene rocks in the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

are dated at ~28 Ma. ''Daphoenus'' survived to 27 Ma in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

in the John Day beds of Oregon. Other sites include:

Alachua County, Florida Alachua County ( ) is a county in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 278,468. The county seat is Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida since 1906, when the campus ope ...

(

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 (NALMA), typically set from 33,300,000 to 30,800,000 years BP, a period of . It is usual ...

) estimated at 31.1—24.3 Ma., Tecuya Canyon,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

(

age) 30.8—20.6 Ma., Haystack Member Formation,

(

Hemingfordian The Hemingfordian on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), typically set from 20,600,000 to 16,300,000 years BP. It is usually considered to overlap the lates ...

) 20.6—16.3 Ma., Lac Pelletier,

Alberta, Canada Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to t ...

(

) ~42 Ma.

References

{{Portal, Paleontology Bear dogs Oligocene caniforms Burdigalian extinctions Cenozoic mammals of North America White River Fauna Miocene carnivorans Eocene genus first appearances Fossil taxa described in 1853 Prehistoric carnivoran genera