Dusicyon avus

Dusicyon avus
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene (Lujanian)-Holocene
~0.78–0.0004 Ma
↓
Artistic reconstruction

Extinct (1464–1636)  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: †Dusicyon
Species:
†D. avus
Binomial name
†Dusicyon avus
Synonyms
  • Canis avus
  • Canis platensis Mercerat 1891

Dusicyon avus is an extinct species of cerdocyonine canid in the genus Dusicyon, native to South America during the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. It was medium to large, about the size of a German shepherd.[2] It was closely related to the Falkland Islands wolf or warrah (Dusicyon australis), which descended from a population of D. avus.[3] It appears to have survived until very recently, perhaps 400 years ago.

  1. ^ Sillero-Zubiri, C. (2015). "Dusicyon avus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T82337482A82337485. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T82337482A82337485.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Dusicyon avus". Encyclopedia of Life. Archived from the original on September 26, 2017.
  3. ^ Austin, Jeremy J.; Soubrier, Julien; Prevosti, Francisco J.; Prates, Luciano; Trejo, Valentina; Mena, Francisco; Cooper, Alan (2013). "The origins of the enigmatic Falkland Islands wolf". Nature Communications. 4: 1552. Bibcode:2013NatCo...4.1552A. doi:10.1038/ncomms2570. hdl:2440/74885. PMID 23462995.