Nyctereutes

Nyctereutes[1]
Two raccoon dogs
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	Caninae
Genus:	Nyctereutes Temminck, 1839
Species
†N. abdeslami †N. donnezani †N. megamastoides N. procyonoides †N. sinensis †N. tingi †N. vinetorum

Nyctereutes is an Old World genus of the family Canidae, consisting of just one living species, the raccoon dog of East Asia.^[1] Nyctereutes appeared about 9.0 million years ago (Mya), with all but one species becoming extinct before the Pleistocene.

Native to East Asia, the raccoon dog has been intensively bred for fur in Europe and especially in Russia during the twentieth century. Specimens have escaped or have been introduced to increase production and formed from populations in Eastern Europe. It is currently expanding rapidly in the rest of Europe, where its presence is undesirable because it is considered harmful and invasive species.

Taxonomy

Nyctereutes megamastoides fossil skull

It is considered a basal genus, resembling the ancestral form of Canidae. It most likely diverged from other canids seven to 10 million years ago.

Nyctereutes was named by Temminck (1839). It was assigned to the Canidae by Carroll (1988) and Geraads (1997).^[2][3]

Species

• †Nyctereutes abdeslami 3.6—1.8 Mya (Morocco)^[4]
• †Nyctereutes donnezani 9.0—3.4 Mya (Eastern Europe, Spain)
• †Nyctereutes megamastoides (Europe)^[5]
• Nyctereutes procyonoides (Mongolia, Russian Far East, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam)
• †Nyctereutes sinensis 3.6 Mya—781,000 years ago (Eastern Asia)^[6]
• †Nyctereutes tingi
• †Nyctereutes vinetorum
• †Nyctereutes lockwoodi

References

1. Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 581. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
2. R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York 1-698
3. D. Geraads. 1997. Carnivores du Pliocene terminal de Ahl al Oughlam (Casablanca, Maroc). Géobios 30(1):127-164
4. Paleobiology Database: ''Nyctereutes abdeslami basic info.
6. Paleobiology Database: ''Nyctereutes sinensis basic info.