Tomarctus Temporal range: early to middle Miocene
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T. brevirostris (=T. temerarius), collected from Nebraska. At the AMNH. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Subfamily: | †Borophaginae |
Tribe: | †Borophagini |
Subtribe: | †Aelurodontina |
Genus: | †Tomarctus Cope, 1873 |
Type species | |
†Tomarctus brevirostris | |
Species[1] | |
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Range of Tomarctus based on fossil distribution |
Tomarctus is a canid genus of the extinct subfamily Borophaginae which inhabited most of North America during the late Early Miocene to the Early Barstovian age of the Middle Miocene (23—16 million years ago). Tomarctus existed for approximately 6.83 million years.[citation needed]
This animal shared a period and ecology with a variety of bear dogs, giant mustelid genera, and the genus of bone-crushing Canidae, Cynarctoides. As the bear dogs and giant mustelids became extinct, Tomarctus were a hyena-like fruit-eating canidae.[citation needed]