Borophaginae

The subfamily Borophaginae is an extinct group of canids that were endemic to North America, and lived from roughly 40 to 2.5 million years ago (Oligocene to Pliocene).

The Borophaginae apparently descended from the subfamily Hesperocyoninae; they evolved to become considerably larger than their predecessors, and filled a wide range of niches in late Cenozoic North America, from small omnivores to powerful, bear-sized carnivores such as Epicyon.

Often generically referred to as "bone-crushing dogs" for their powerful teeth and jaws, and hyena-like features (although their dentition was more primitive than that of hyenas), their fossils are abundant and widespread; in all likelihood, they were probably one of the top predators of their ecosystem., Their good fossil record has also allowed a detailed reconstruction of their phylogeny, showing that the group was highly diverse in its heyday.

Some borophagines were as big as modern day lions. Some resembled raccoons or coyotes and might have been omnivorous.

Noteworthy genera in this group are Aelurodon, Epicyon, and Borophagus (=Osteoborus).

Classification

• Family Canidae
• Subfamily †Borophaginae
• †Archaeocyon ()
• †Oxetocyon ()
• †Otarocyon ()
• †Rhizocyon ()
• Tribe †Phlaocyonini
• †Cynarctoides ()
• †Phlaocyon ()
• Tribe †Borophagini
• †Cormocyon
• †Desmocyon
• †Metatomarctus ()
• †Euoplocyon ()
• †Psalidocyon ()
• †Microtomarctus ()
• †Protomarctus
• †Tephrocyon ()
• Subtribe †Cynarctina
• †Paracynarctus ()
• †Cynarctus ()
• Subtribe †Aelurodontina
• †Tomarctus ()
• †Aelurodon ()
• Subtribe †Borophagina
• †Paratomarctus ()
• †Carpocyon
• †Protepicyon ()
• †Epicyon ()
• †Borophagus (=Osteoborus) ()

Cladogram showing borophagine interrelationships, following Wang et al., figure 141:

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See also

• Borophagus

References:

• Alan Turner, "National Geographic: Prehistoric Mammals" (Washington, D.C.: Firecrest Books Ltd., 2004), pp. 112-114. ISBN 0-7922-7134-3