Hemicyon
Extinct genus of bears / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the ancient Greek mythological creatures, see Cynocephaly.
Hemicyon, also known as the "dog-bear" (literally "half dog", from Greek ἡμι- hēmi- (half) + κύων kúōn (dog)), is an extinct genus of hemicyonine bear, which probably originated in Eurasia but was found in Europe, Asia and North America during the Miocene epoch (15.97 to 12.75 million years ago), existing for approximately 16 to 13 mya.[1] Hemicyon is the best-known genus in the Hemicyoninae, a subfamily intermediate between bears and their Caniform ancestors but most often classified as bears.[2] Hemicyonid bears should not be confused with Amphicyonids (bear-dogs), which are their own separate family of carnivores.
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Hemicyon | |
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Hemicyon sansaniensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Ursidae |
Subfamily: | †Hemicyoninae |
Genus: | †Hemicyon Lartet, 1851 |
Type species | |
†Hemicyon barbouri Lartet, 1851 | |
Other species | |
List of other species
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