Nyctereutes

Nyctereutes[1]
Temporal range: 5.332–0 Ma Late Miocene - recent
Common and Japanese raccoon dog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Caninae
Genus: Nyctereutes
Temminck, 1838[2]
Type species
Canis viverrinus
Species

N. procyonoides
N. viverrinus

Nyctereutes (Greek: nyx, nykt- "night" + ereutēs "wanderer") is a genus of canid which includes only two extant species, both known as raccoon dogs: the common raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus).[1] Nyctereutes first entered the fossil record 5.5 million years ago (Mya) in northern China. It was one of the earliest canines to arrive in the Old World. All but two species became extinct before the end of the Pleistocene. A study suggests that the evolution of Nyctereutes was influenced by environmental and climatic changes, such as the expansion and contraction of forests and the fluctuations of temperature and precipitation.[3]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Wozencraft2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Temminck1838 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Farjandetal2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).