Leptocyon

Fossil localities of Leptocyon in North America

Leptocyon (Greek: leptos - slim, cyon - dog ) is an extinct genus of the dogs ( Canidae ), descended from the subfamily of Caninae and thus all living canids.

The genus Leptocyon comprised eleven known species. All were quite small and similar fox. No weighing over 2 kg. Leptocyon is the oldest genus of Caninae to which all dogs today count. The genus originated in the Oligocene about 34 million years ago and existed for a long time, until it became extinct in the Miocene epoch, about 9 million years ago. Leptocyon was limited in its spread to North America. Among his immediate descendants probably one of the extinct genus Eucyon and the new genus Vulpes should have made ​​that develops over Metalopex the South American dogs.

Species

  • Leptocyon Wollis (middle Oligocene )
  • Leptocyon sp. A ( mid- Oligocene )
  • Leptocyon delicatus (late Oligocene )
  • Leptocyon gregorii (late Oligocene )
  • Leptocyon vulpinus (early Miocene )
  • Leptocyon sp. B (early to late Miocene )
  • Leptocyon vafer (medium to late Miocene )
  • Leptocyon sp. C (late Miocene )
  • Leptocyon sp. D (late Miocene )

Swell

  • Canine
  • Extinct predator
  • Canidae
Mya (unit) Laurasiatheria William Diller Matthew
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