Bear dog
The Amphicyonidae or bear dogs, is an extinct family of large terrestrial carnivores.
| Amphicyonidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skeleton of Amphicyon | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Family: | †Amphicyonidae Haeckel, 1886 |
| Subfamilies | |
|
†Amphicyoninae | |
They belonged to the dog-like suborder Caniformia. It had a wide distribution in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. They lived from the Eocene epoch to the Pleistocene epoch 46.2 – 1.8 million years ago (mya), for a total of about 44.4 million years or from the Paleocene to the Quaternary period.[1]
Originally they evolved in the Old World, but crossed over to the Americas during the Miocene epoch. This would happen at a time when crossing was possible via the Bering Strait.[2]
References
- "Paleobiology Database: Amphicyonidae, age range and collections". Archived from the original on 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
- Hunt, Robert M, Jr. 2003. Intercontinental migration of large mammalian carnivores: earliest occurrence of the Old World beardog Amphicyon (Carnivora, Amphicyonidae) in North America. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 279, 77-115
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