Leptocyon

Leptocyon Temporal range: Chattian- Tortonian 24.8–10.3 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Drawing of the holotype skull of Leptocyon gregorii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	Caninae
Genus:	†Leptocyon
Species
†L. gregorii †L. vafer †L. vulpinus
Fossil range of Leptocyon species

Leptocyon (Greek: slender dog^[1]) is a small extinct genus of canid endemic to North America during the Oligocene through Miocene living from 24.8—10.3 million years ago, existing for about 25.8-10.3 million years.^[2]

Leptocyon was a small-bodied, fox-like animal with a slender jaw.^[3]

Taxonomy

Leptocyon was named by Matthew (1918). It was synonymized subjectively with Vulpes by Gregory (1942); it was revalidated by Webb (1969), Carroll (1988), and Munthe (1998). It was assigned to the Canidae by Matthew (1918), Webb (1969), Carroll (1988), and Munthe (1998).^[4][5]

Morphology

Body mass

Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth. Estimated body mass of these two was 3.26 kg (7.2 lb)^[6]

References

1. "Leptocyon". About.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
2. PaleoBiology Database: Leptocyon, basic info
3. Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America: Terrestrial animals of North America Volume 1, Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulate like Mammals. Christine M. Janis carnivores. Louis L. Jacobs, Kathleen Marie Scott.
4. J. T. Gregory. 1942. University of California Publications, Bulletin of the Department of Geological Sciences 26(4)
5. S. D. Webb. 1969. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 78
6. S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology 1(1):85-98

External links

• Chronology of Wolf Evolution