''Phlaocyon'' (from Greek ''phlao'', "eat greedily" and ''cyon'', "dog") is an extinct genus of the

Borophaginae The extinct Borophaginae form one of three subfamilies found within the canid family. The other two canid subfamilies are the extinct Hesperocyoninae and extant Caninae. Borophaginae, called "bone-crushing dogs", were endemic to North America du ...

subfamily of canids native to

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 ...

. It lives from the Early Oligocene to the Early Miocene epoch 33.3–16.3

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, existing for approximately . It is closely related to ''

Cynarctoides ''Cynarctoides'' is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae subfamily of canids native to North America. It lived from the Early Oligocene to the Middle Miocene, 33.3—13.6 Mya, existing for approximately . Seven species are currently recognised, a ...

''.

Phylogeny

When discovered in the 19th century and during the following decades, ''Phlaocyon'' was thought to be ancestral to

raccoons The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of . ...

because of shared convergent adaptations toward hypocarnivorous dentitions, but was the first to discover the canid nature of the middle ear region in ''P. leucosteus'' and ''Phlaocyon'' in now believed to be part of very diverse

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

of hypocarnivorous canids, the

Phlaocyonini Phlaocyonini is an extinct clade or tribe of hypocarnivorous borophagines (bone-crushing dogs). They were endemic to North America and from the Oligocene epoch (Whitneyan stage) to the Miocene ( Early Barstovian) living ~33.3–5.3 Ma, exi ...

, and only distantly related to raccoons. '' P. mariae'' and '' P. yatkolai'', both known from isolated teeth and fragmentary material, are the largest and most derived species, and both display a tendency away from the hypocarnivorous dentition of the genus and towards a more

hypercarnivorous 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 exampl ...

dentition.

Anatomy

''Phlaocyon'' was about in body length, and looked more like a cat or raccoon than a dog, but its skull anatomy shows it to be a primitive canid. ''Phlaocyon'' probably lived like a raccoon, often climbing trees. Its head was short, wide, and had forward-facing eyes. Unlike modern canides, ''Phlaocyon'' had no specialised teeth for slicing flesh. It is thought to have been an

omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutr ...

Species

* †'' P. achoros'' * †'' P. annectens'' * †'' P. latidens'' * †'' P. leucosteus'' * †'' P. mariae'' * †'' P. marslandensis'' * †'' P. minor'' * †'' P. multicuspus'' * †'' P. taylori'' * †'' P. yatkolai''

Fossil distribution

*Foree Site, John Day Formation,

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 ...

(P. latidens) ~30.8–20.6 Ma. *

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Hernando County, Florida Hernando County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 194,515. Its county seat is Brooksville, and its largest community is Spring Hill. Hernando County is incl ...

(P. taylori) ~30.8–20.6 Ma. * SB-1A Live Oak Site,

Suwannee County, Florida Suwannee County is a county located in the north central portion of the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,474, up from 41,551 in 2010. Its county seat is Live Oak. Suwannee County was a dry county until August 2011 ...

(P. leucosteus) ~24.8–20.6 Ma. *Buda Mine,

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 ...

(P. indent) ~24.8–20.6 Ma. *Wewela Site,

Tripp County, South Dakota Tripp County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,624. Its county seat is Winner. The county was created in 1873, and was organized in 1909. It is named for lawyer, judge, and diplomat Bar ...

(P. minor) ~26.3–24.8 Ma.

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * (with illustrations by Mauricio Antón) * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2330531 Borophagines Oligocene canids Miocene canids Burdigalian genus extinctions Cenozoic mammals of North America Prehistoric carnivoran genera Rupelian genus first appearances Fossil taxa described in 1899