Borophagus

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Borophagus
Ma
Borophagus secundus skull
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: †Borophaginae
Tribe: †Borophagini
Subtribe: †Borophagina
Genus: †Borophagus
Cope, 1892
Type species
†Borophagus diversidens
Other species
  • †B. dudleyi
  • †B. hilli
  • †B. littoralis
  • †B. orc
  • †B. parvus
  • †B. pugnator
  • †B. secundus
Synonyms
  • †Cynogulo Kretzoi, 1968
  • †Hyaenognathus
    Merriam
    , 1903
  • †Porthocyon
    Merriam
    , 1903
  • †Osteoborus

Borophagus ("gluttonous eater") is an extinct

Mya.[1]

Evolution

Borophagus, like other borophagines, are loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "

Aenocyon dirus. Early species of Borophagus were placed in the genus Osteoborus until recently, but the genera are now considered synonyms.[1]

Description

B. littoralis skull
B. secundus, collected from Texas. At the AMNH.

Typical features of this genus are a bulging forehead and powerful jaws; Borophagus has been considered to be probably a

hyena of the Old World. However, Borophagus fossils are so abundant and geographically widespread that some paleontologists now argue that Borophagus must have been both the dominant carnivore of its time, and thus an active predator because carrion feeding alone could not have sustained such a large population.[3] They note that not all carnivores with bone-cracking ability are scavengers, such as the modern spotted hyena; instead, they interpret the bone-cracking ability as an adaptation to social hunting where complete utilization of a carcass was favored.[3] Coprolites from Borophagus further vindicate its bone-crushing abilities, while simultaneously indicating it occupied a niche no longer seen in the present-day ecosystems of North America. The discovery of these coprolites also indicates that Borophagus may have been a social pack-hunter.[4]

The adult animal is estimated to have been about 80 cm in length, similar to a coyote, although it was much more powerfully built.[5]

Species

Restoration by Charles R. Knight, 1902

Existence based on Figure 141 of Wang et al. (1999).[1]

Paleoecology

In North America, in places such as

machairodont cat Amphimachairodus coloradensis and fellow canid Epicyon. All of these animals were potential competitors that would have occasionally conflicted with Borophagus for food and territory, though it may also have readily scavenged their kills. Prey for Borophagus included herbivores like the camel Aepycamelus, the pronghorn antelope Cosoryx, horses like Neohipparion and Nannippus, the ancient peccary Prosthennops and even rhinoceroses like the hippo-like Teleoceras, all of which could provide a suitable meal through hunting or scavenging.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wang, Xiaoming; Richard Tedford; Beryl Taylor (1999-11-17). "Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 243. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  2. ISBN 0-8160-1125-7
    .
  3. ^ a b Wang, Xiaoming; and Tedford, Richard H. Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. pp112-3
  4. PMID 29785931
    .
  5. ISBN 1-84028-152-9
    .
  6. ISBN 9780253010421
    .
  7. ISBN 0-231-10228-3
    .

Further reading

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