Dukecynus

Dukecynus Temporal range: Mid-Miocene (Laventan) ~13.8–11.8 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Fossil illustration
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Sparassodonta
Superfamily:	Borhyaenoidea
Genus:	Dukecynus Goin, 1997
species
Dukecynus magnus

Dukecynus is an extinct genus of meat-eating metatherian belonging to the order Sparassodonta, which lived in South America during the Middle Miocene (Laventan), between about 13.8 and 11.8 million years ago.^[1] The name of the genus meaning "Duke dog", for Duke University and the Greek word cynos, dog, for the pretended similarity of this animal with dogs. A single species known so far, Dukecynus magnus. The species name "magnus" derives from Latin for big, to reflect their great size.

Description

Dukecynus is only known from its holotype, IGM 251149, a heavily damaged partial skull preserving parts of the lower and upper jaw as well as associated fragments of the skeleton.^[1] This specimen was discovered at the Konzentrat-Lagerstätte La Venta in the Honda Group, Huila and Tolima in Colombia. A second fragmentary specimen from La Venta, cataloged as UCMP 39250, consisting of a fragmentary skull and parts of the humerus and femur from a juvenile individual, referred to "cf. Arctodictis" by Marshall (1978) could also belong to Dukecynus or a similar species.^[2][1] Although the affinities of this species have never been formally analysed, Dukecynus is generally considered to be a basal borhyaenoid, a paraphyletic group of sparassodonts that includes genera like Lycopsis and Prothylacynus that cannot be assigned to one of the major borhyaenoid families like Borhyaenidae or Thylacosmilidae.^[3] Compared to other basal borhyaenoids, Dukecynus had a long, narrow snout and was relatively large, with some estimates suggesting this animal weighed up to 68 kilograms (150 lbs).^[4] Dukecynus was probably the largest mammalian predator as well as the largest sparassodont at La Venta.

References

External links

• Marsupial `dogs', `bears', `sabre-tooths' and `weasels' of island South America: meet the borhyaenoids, by Darren Naish
• Бестиарий - Доисторические животные - Prehistoric Fauna (naturalistic reconstruction by Roman Uchytel)

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Metatheria

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria
Synapsida see Synapsida Cynodontia see Cynodontia Mammalia see Mammalia Metatheria see below↓

Metatheria
Metatheria †Adinodon †Archaeonothos †Esteslestes †Ghamidtherium †Holoclemensia? †Kasserinotherium †Protalphadon †Sinodelphys? †Deltatheroida Pappotherium? Deltatheridiidae Atokatheridium? Deltatheridium Deltatheroides Gurbanodelta Lotheridium Nanocuris Oklatheridium? Prodeltitheridium Sulestes Tsagandelta Marsupialiformes †Adelodelphys †Aenigmadelphys †Anchistodelphys †Andinodelphys †Arcantiodelphys †Camptomus? †Glasbius †Gurlin Tsav skull †Iugomortiferum †Jaskhadelphys †Mayulestes †Pucadelphys †Sinbadelphys †Sparassodonta see below↓ †Asiatheriidae Asiatherium Kokopellia †Archimetatheria Iqualadelphis Stagodontidae Didelphodon Eobrasilia? Eodelphis Fumodelphodon Hoodootherium Pariadens? Pediomyoidea Aquiladelphis Austropediomys Dakotadens Monodelphopsis Pediomys Protolambda Scalaridelphys Unnuakomys †Peradectidae Armintodelphys Didelphidectes Mimoperadectes Nanodelphys Peradectes Siamoperadectes †Alphadontidae Albertatherium Alphadon Eoalphadon Turgidodon †Herpetotheriidae Amphiperatherium Asiadidelphis Copedelphys Ectocentrocristus Entomacodon Galatiadelphys Golerdelphys Herpetotherium Indodelphis Maastrichtidelphys Morotodon? Nortedelphys Peratherium Rumiodon? Swaindelphys Thylacodon †Anatoliadelphyidae Anatoliadelphys Orhaniyeia †Polydolopimorphia see below↓ Marsupialia Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Australidelphia

Sparassodonta
Sparassodonta Allqokirus Argyrolestes Hondadelphys Nemolestes Patene Procladosictis Stylocynus Hathliacynidae Acyon Australogale Borhyaenidium Chasicostylus Cladosictis Notictis Notocynus Notogale Perathereutes Pseudonotictis Sallacyon Sipalocyon Borhyaenoidea Angelocabrerus Chlorocyon Dukecynus Fredszalaya Lycopsis Pharsophorus Plesiofelis Prothylacinus Pseudolycopsis Pseudothylacynus Borhyaenidae Acrocyon Arctodictis Australohyaena Borhyaena Eutemnodus? Proborhyaenidae Arminiheringia Callistoe Paraborhyaena Proborhyaena Thylacosmilidae Anachlysictis Eomakhaira Patagosmilus Thylacosmilus

Polydolopimorphia

Polydolopimorphia Apeirodon? Bobbschaefferia Caroloameghinia Carolocoutoia Guggenheimia Gashternia Hatcheritherium Palangania Procaroloameghinia Protodidelphis Pujatodon? Reigia Robertbutleria Wamradolops Zeusdelphys Bonapartheriiformes Bonapartheriidae Bonapartherium Epidolops Argyrolagidae Anargyrolagus Argyrolagus Hondalagus Microtragulus Proargyrolagus Chulpasiinae Chulpasia Thylacotinga Prepidolopidae Incadolops Perrodelphys Prepidolops Punadolops Seumandia Rosendolopidae Hondonadia Rosendolops Polydolopiformes Polydolopidae Amphidolops Antarctodolops Eudolops Eurydolops Hypodolops Kramadolops Parabderites Polydolops Pseudolops Sillustaniidae Roberthoffstetteria Sillustania