Daphoenus hartshorianus

Daphoenus hartshornianus Temporal range: 33.8–33.3 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Oligocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	†Amphicyonidae
Genus:	Daphoenus
Species:	Daphoenus hartshornianus Cope, 1873

Daphoenus hartshornianus is an extinct species of Amphicyonidae ("bear dogs"), a family of terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia, which inhabited North America from the Oligocene (Orellan) 33.8—33.3 Mya, existing for approximately 0.5 million years.

Taxonomy

Daphoenus hartshornianus was named by Cope (1873). It was recombined as Protemnocyon hartshornianus by Hatcher (1902); it was recombined as Daphoenus hartshornianus by Scott (1898), Sinclair (1924), Scott and Jepsen (1936), Galbreath (1953) and Hunt (1996).^[1][2][3]

Morphology

A single specimen was measured by Legendre and Roth in 1988 for estimated body mass.^[4]

• 6.79 kg (15 lb).

Fossil distribution

Daphoenus hartshornianus fossils found in Oligocene Orellan rocks in the Lower Nodular Zone, Pennington County, South Dakota are dated at ~33.4 Ma. Other sites include the Prairie Dog Creek Site and Warbonnet Creek Site, Sioux County, Nebraska ~33.4 Ma., Bartlett High Site, Dawes County, Nebraska ~33.2 Ma., Babby Butte Site, Shannon County, South Dakota ~33.4 Ma—33.2 Ma.

References

1. ^ W. B. Scott. 1898. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 37(157):73-81
2. ^ W. J. Sinclair. 1924. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 63
3. ^ R. M. Hunt. 1996. 476-485
4. ^ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology