Borophagus orc
| Borophagus orc Ma
| |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Genus: | †Borophagus |
| Species: | †B. orc
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Borophagus orc Webb, 1969
| |
Borophagus orc is an extinct
Overview
Borophagus, like other Borophaginae, are loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "
Canis dirus. Early species of Borophagus were placed in the genus Osteoborus until recently, but the genera are now considered synonyms.[1] Borophagus orc possibly led a hyena-like lifestyle scavenging carcasses of recently dead animals.[3]
Taxonomy
Typical features of this genus are a bulging forehead and powerful jaws; it was probably a
hyena of the Old World. The adult animal is estimated to have been about 80 centimetres (31 in) in length, similar to a coyote, although it was much more powerfully built.[5]
Recombination
Borophagus orc was recombined by X. Wang in 1999. It was previously named Osteoborus orc.[6]
Fossil distribution
Specimens have been found at only two sites: near Withlacoochee River, Florida and coastal North Carolina.
References
- ^ a b 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 2007-03-20. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ PaleoBiology Database: Borophagus orc, basic info
- PMID 29785931.
- ISBN 0-8160-1125-7.
- ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ^ "Fossilworks: Gateway to the Paleobiology Database". paleodb.org. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
Notes
- Alan Turner, "National Geographic: Prehistoric Mammals" (Washington, D.C.: Firecrest Books Ltd., 2004), pp. 112–114. ISBN 0-7922-7134-3
- Xiaoming Wang, "The Origin and Evolution of the Dog Family" Accessed 1/30/06.
Further reading
- Picture of an Osteoborus skull in a museum, from "World of the Wolf." (Accessed 6/19/06)
- Russell Hunt, "Ecological Polarities Of the North American Family Canidae: A New Approach to Understanding Forty Million Years of Canid Evolution" (Accessed 1/30/06).
- Wang et al., "Phylogenetic Systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora:Canidae)." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, No. 243, Nov. 17 1999. (PDF) (Accessed 4/11/06)