Daphoenus socialis

Daphoenus socialis Temporal range: 25.4–24.3 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	†Amphicyonidae
Genus:	Daphoenus
Species:	Daphoenus socialis Thorpe, 1922

Daphoenus socialis is an extinct species of Amphicyonidae ("bear dogs"), a family of terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia, which inhabited North America from the Miocene ~25.4—24.3 Mya, existing for approximately 1.1 million years.

Taxonomy

Daphoenus socialis was originally desinagnated as Pericyon socialis and named by Thorpe (1922) a genotype.^[1] It is the type species of Pericyon. It was recombined as Daphoenus socialis by Hunt in 1998.^[2]

Morphology

A single specimen was measured by Legendre and Roth in 1988 for estimated body mass.^[3]

• 13 kg (29 lb).

Fossil distribution

Daphoenus socialis fossils found in Oligocene Hemingfordian rocks at the Haystack Member, Wheeler County, Oregon are dated at ~24.3 Ma. and Kimberly Member, Grant County, Oregon with several other species of mammal such as Hesperocyon, Hypertragulus, and Leptomeryx dating ~25.4—25.3 Ma.

References

1. ^ M. R. Thorpe. 1922. American Journal of Science 203
2. ^ R. M. Hunt. 1998. Amphicyonidae. 196-227
3. ^ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology