Kingdom Animalia Class Mammalia Family Canidae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Carnivora Subfamily †Borophaginae | |
Similar Borophagus, Borophaginae, Aelurodon, Carpocyon, Canis lepophagus | ||
Borophagus diversidens ("devouring glutton") is an extinct species of the genus Borophagus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the late Miocene epoch through the Pliocene epoch 4.9—1.8 Ma.
Contents
Overview
Borophagus diversidens was named by Cope in 1892. Members of its subfamily, Borophaginae, are loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "hyena-like" dogs. Though not the most massive borophagine by size or weight, it had a more highly evolved capacity to crunch bone than earlier, larger genera such as Epicyon, which seems to be an evolutionary trend of the group (Turner, 2004). During the Pliocene epoch, Borophagus began being displaced by Canis genera such as Canis edwardii and later by Canis dirus. Early species of Borophagus were placed in the genus Osteoborus until recently, but the genera are now considered synonyms. B. diversidens possibly led a hyena-like lifestyle scavenging carcasses of recently dead animals.
Taxonomy
Typical features of this genus are a bulging forehead and powerful jaws; it was probably a scavenger. Its crushing premolar teeth and strong jaw muscles would have been used to crack open bone, much like the 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.
Morphology
Two fossil specimens of Borophagus diversidens were measured by Legendre and Roth in 1988. They estimated that specimen one weighed 89 kilograms (196 lb) and the second weighed 75.4 kilograms (166 lb).
Recombination
Borophagus diversidens was recombined as Dinocyon (Borophagus) diversidens by Matthew in 1902 and then recombined as Dinocyon diversidens by Matthew the same year. It was recombined as Hyaenarctos diversidens.
Fossil distribution
Borophagus diversidens fossil specimens are very widespread from 2 sites in central Florida to central Mexico, from western Oregon and western Washington to New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.