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{{Short description|Extinct genus of carnivores}}
{{Short description|Extinct genus of carnivores}}
{{Automatic taxobox
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Pleistocene|Late Pleistocene]] ([[Lujanian]])<br>~{{Fossil range|0.781|0.012}}
| fossil_range = [[Pleistocene|Late Pleistocene]] ([[Lujanian]]){{Break}}~{{Fossil range|0.781|0.012}}
| image = O5hv44te71e21.jpg
| image = O5hv44te71e21.jpg
| image_caption = Artist reconstruction of a pack of Protocyon hunting a large ground sloth [[Glossotherium]]
| image_caption = Artist reconstruction of a pack of Protocyon hunting a large ground sloth [[Glossotherium]]
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'''Protocyon''' is an [[extinction|extinct]] [[genus]] of large [[canid]] endemic to [[South America|South]] and [[North America]] during the [[Late Pleistocene]] living from 0.781 Ma to 12,000 years ago and existed for approximately {{Mya|0.781-0.012|million years}}.{{R|"Fossilworks Protocyon"}}
'''Protocyon''' is an [[extinction|extinct]] [[genus]] of large [[canid]] endemic to [[South America|South]] and [[North America]] during the [[Late Pleistocene]] living from 0.781 Ma to 12,000 years ago and existed for approximately {{Mya|0.781-0.012|million years}}.{{R|"Fossilworks Protocyon"}}


== Description ==
==Description==
''Protocyon'' was a [[hypercarnivore]], suggested by its dental adaptations. Like many other large canids, it was most likely a pack hunter. It hunted the medium-sized grazers and browsers, and bite marks on fossils suggest that it may have hunted [[Glyptotherium]].{{R|"Araújo-Júnior Barbosa Silva 2017"}} The find of a molar tooth found in [[Santa Vitória do Palmar]] in [[Brazil]] suggests a weight of between {{convert|25|and|37|kg}} for this particular specimen.{{R|"Oliveira Prevosti Pereira 2005"|p=219}}
''Protocyon'' was a [[hypercarnivore]], suggested by its dental adaptations. Like many other large canids, it was most likely a pack hunter. It hunted the medium-sized grazers and browsers, and bite marks on fossils suggest that it may have hunted [[Glyptotherium]].{{R|"Araújo-Júnior Barbosa Silva 2017"}} The find of a molar tooth found in [[Santa Vitória do Palmar]] in [[Brazil]] suggests a weight of between {{convert|25|and|37|kg}} for this particular specimen.{{R|"Oliveira Prevosti Pereira 2005"|p=219}}


== Taxonomy ==
==Taxonomy==
''Protocyon'' was named by Giebel in 1855 and assigned to Canidae by Carroll in 1988.{{R|"Carroll 1988"|p=634}} A member of the [[Cerdocyonina]] lineage, it's closest living relative might be the [[bush dog]].
''Protocyon'' was named by Giebel in 1855 and assigned to Canidae by Carroll in 1988.{{R|"Carroll 1988"|p=634}} A member of the [[Cerdocyonina]] lineage, it's closest living relative might be the [[bush dog]].


== Fossil distribution ==
==Fossil distribution==
Fossils of ''Protocyon'' have been found in the [[Ñuapua Formation|Ñuapua]] and [[Tarija Formation]]s of [[Bolivia]], the [[Vorohue Formation]] of [[Buenos Aires, Argentina]], [[Santa Elena Peninsula]] of [[Ecuador]], [[Sopas Formation]] of [[Uruguay]], [[Mene de Inciarte Tar Seep]] of [[Venezuela]] and various sites in [[Brazil]], among others the [[Jandaíra Formation]].{{R|"Fossilworks Protocyon"}}
Fossils of ''Protocyon'' have been found in the [[Ñuapua Formation|Ñuapua]] and [[Tarija Formation]]s of [[Bolivia]], the [[Vorohue Formation]] of [[Buenos Aires, Argentina]], [[Santa Elena Peninsula]] of [[Ecuador]], [[Sopas Formation]] of [[Uruguay]], [[Mene de Inciarte Tar Seep]] of [[Venezuela]] and various sites in [[Brazil]], among others the [[Jandaíra Formation]].{{R|"Fossilworks Protocyon"}}


Canid fossil material from the Hoyo Negro pit in the [[Sistema Sac Actun|Sac Actun cave system]] ([[Mexico]]), initially identified as remains of a [[coyote]], was reinterpreted as remains of ''Protocyon troglodytes'' by ''{{Harvtxt|Schubert|Chatters|Arroyo-Cabrales|Samuels|2019}}'', indicating that this taxon was also present in the southern part of North America.{{R|"Schubert 2019"|p=2}}
Canid fossil material from the Hoyo Negro pit in the [[Sistema Sac Actun|Sac Actun cave system]] ([[Mexico]]), initially identified as remains of a [[coyote]], was reinterpreted as remains of ''Protocyon troglodytes'' by ''{{Harvtxt|Schubert|Chatters|Arroyo-Cabrales|Samuels|2019}}'', indicating that this taxon was also present in the southern part of North America.{{R|"Schubert 2019"|p=2}}


== References ==
==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
{{Reflist|refs=
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Revision as of 08:39, 26 March 2021

Protocyon
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene (Lujanian)
~0.781–0.012 Ma
↓
File:O5hv44te71e21.jpg
Artist reconstruction of a pack of Protocyon hunting a large ground sloth Glossotherium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Tribe: Canini
Subtribe: Cerdocyonina
Genus: †Protocyon
Giebel 1855
Species
Synonyms

Theriodictis tarijense

Protocyon is an extinct genus of large canid endemic to South and North America during the Late Pleistocene living from 0.781 Ma to 12,000 years ago and existed for approximately 0.769 million years.[1]

Description

Protocyon was a hypercarnivore, suggested by its dental adaptations. Like many other large canids, it was most likely a pack hunter. It hunted the medium-sized grazers and browsers, and bite marks on fossils suggest that it may have hunted Glyptotherium.[2] The find of a molar tooth found in Santa Vitória do Palmar in Brazil suggests a weight of between 25 and 37 kilograms (55 and 82 lb) for this particular specimen.[3]: 219 

Taxonomy

Protocyon was named by Giebel in 1855 and assigned to Canidae by Carroll in 1988.[4]: 634  A member of the Cerdocyonina lineage, it's closest living relative might be the bush dog.

Fossil distribution

Fossils of Protocyon have been found in the Ñuapua and Tarija Formations of Bolivia, the Vorohue Formation of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Santa Elena Peninsula of Ecuador, Sopas Formation of Uruguay, Mene de Inciarte Tar Seep of Venezuela and various sites in Brazil, among others the Jandaíra Formation.[1]

Canid fossil material from the Hoyo Negro pit in the Sac Actun cave system (Mexico), initially identified as remains of a coyote, was reinterpreted as remains of Protocyon troglodytes by Schubert et al. (2019), indicating that this taxon was also present in the southern part of North America.[5]: 2 

References

  1. ^ a b Alroy, John, ed. (2021). "Protocyon Giebel 1855 (canid)". Fossilworks. Sydney: Macquarie University. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ Araújo-Júnior, Hermínio Ismael de; Barbosa, Fernando Henrique de Souza; Silva, Lucas Henrique Medeiros da (February 2017). "Overlapping paleoichnology, paleoecology and taphonomy: Analysis of tooth traces in a Late Pleistocene-early Holocene megafaunal assemblage of Brazil and description of a new ichnotaxon in hard substrate". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 468. Rio de Janeiro: Elsevier: 122–128. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.12.007. ISSN 0031-0182.
  3. ^ Oliveira, Édison V.; Prevosti, Francisco J.; Pereira, Jamil C. (December 2005). "Protocyon Troglodytes (Lund) (Mammalia, Carnivora) in the late Pleistocene of Rio Grande Do Sul and their Paleoecological Significance" (PDF). Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia. 8 (3). Brazil: Sociedade Brasileira de Paleontologia: 215–220. ISSN 1519-7530. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  4. ^ Carroll, Robert Lynn (1988). Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. ISBN 978-0716718222. OCLC 453330574. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  5. ^ Schubert, Blaine W.; et al. (2019). "Yucatán carnivorans shed light on the Great American Biotic Interchange". Biology Letters. 15 (5). London: Royal Society: 1–6. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2019.0148. PMC 6548739. PMID 31039726. 20190148.
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