Cynelos Temporal range: 23.3–7 Ma Early Miocene - Middle Miocene |
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C. lemanensis skull | |
Fossil
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Caniformia |
Family: | Amphicyonidae |
Subfamily: | Amphicyoninae |
Genus: |
Cynelos Jourdan, 1862 |
Species | |
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Cynelos is a large extinct genus of terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia, family Amphicyonidae ("bear dog"), and which inhabited North America, Europe Asia, and Africa from the Early Miocene subepoch to the Late Miocene subepoch 24.8—7.2 Mya, existing for approximately 17.6 million years.
Dentition of this animal displayed only the characteristics of a carnivore.
Cynelos was named by Jourdan in 1862 as type European C. lemanensis (Europe). Its type is Amphicyon lemanensis. It was assigned to Amphicyoninae by Hunt (1998) and Sach and Heizmann (2001); and to Amphicyonidae by Jourdan (1862), Carroll (1988) and Morlo et al. (2007).
A single specimen was examined by Legendre and Roth in 1988 for body mass. That specimen was estimated to weigh 84.4 kg (190 lb).
Bhagothoro, Pakistan; West Turkana, Kenya; Uganda, Wadi Moghra, Egypt; Skull Spring, Oregon; Gilchrist County, Florida (Thomas Farm), Pollack Farm, Delaware; Santa Ana Mountains, Orange County, California.
Amphicyon, Ischyrocyon (synonymous with Hadrocyon), Pliocyon, Pseudocyon (synonymous with Amphicyonopsis), Ysengrinia.