Paratomarctus
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Paratomarctus Temporal range: Miocene |
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Fossil
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivoramorpha |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Subfamily: | † Borophaginae |
| Genus: |
† Paratomarctus Wang, 1999 |
| Binomial name | |
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† Paratomarctus temerarius Wang, 1999 |
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| Type species | |
| † Paratomarctus temerarius |
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| Range of Paratomarctus based on fossil distribution | |
Paratomarctus an extinct member of the Borophaginae, subtribe Borophagina, a terrestrial canine (bone-crushing dog) which inhabited most of North America from the Harrisonian stage to Early Barstovian stage of the Miocene epoch living 16.3—5.3 mya, existed for approximately 11 million years.
Paratomarctus was one of the last of the Borophaginae and shared its North American habitat with other canidae: Borophagus (23.3—3.6 Mya), Epicyon (20.6—5.330 Ma), Carpocyon (20.4—3.9 Ma), Aelurodon (23.03—4.9 Ma), and the first emerging wolf, Canis lepophagus appearing 10.3 Ma.
Paratomarctus was named and assigned to Borophagina by Wang et al. (1999). It was recombined as Tephrocyon temerarius by Matthew and Cook (1909), Peterson (1910), Merriam (1913), Matthew (1918) and Merriam (1919); it was recombined as Tomarctus temerarius by Matthew (1924), Green (1948), Galbreath (1953), Downs (1956), Sutton (1977), Voorhies (1990) and Munthe (1998); it was recombined as Paratomarctus temerarius by Wang et al. (1999).
Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 12.9 kg (28 lb). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 12 kg (26 lb).
Fossils were uncovered throughout most of the western United States.
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