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Tomarctus brevirostris
Fossil range: early to middle Miocene Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: †Borophaginae
Genus: †Tomarctus
Other species of Tomarctus:
T. brevirostris · T. canavus · T. euthos · T. hippophaga · T. hippophagus · T. optatus · T. rurestris · T. temerarius
The ancient North American hunter Tomarctus is the accepted common ancestor of all canids, including L. pictus. Tomarctus hunted on the plains of North America about 10 million years ago.
Canidae is the of the dogs; a member of this family is called a canid (). They include wolves, foxes, coyotes, and jackals. The Canidae family is divided into the "true dogs" of the tribe Canini and the "foxes" of the tribe Vulpini. The two species of the basal Caninae are more primitive and do not fit into either tribe.
The subdivision of Canidae into "foxes" and "true dogs" may not be in accordance with the actual relations; also the taxonomic classification of several canines is disputed. Recent DNA analysis shows that Canini (dogs) and Vulpini (foxes) are valid clades. (See phylogeny below). Molecular data implies a North American origin of living Canidae and an African origin of wolf-like canines (Canis, Cuon, and Lycaon).[3]
Currently, the domestic dog is listed as a subspecies of Canis lupus, C. l. familiaris, and the Dingo (also considered a domestic dog) as C. l. dingo, provisionally a separate subspecies from C. l. familiaris; the Red Wolf, Eastern Canadian Wolf, and Indian Wolf are recognized as subspecies.[1] Many sources list the domestic dog as Canis familiaris, but others, including the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists, more precisely list it as a subspecies of C. l. familiaris; the Red Wolf, Eastern Canadian Wolf, and Indian Wolf may or may not be separate species; the Dingo has been in the past variously classified as Canis dingo, Canis familiaris dingo and Canis lupus familiaris dingo.
(from http://zipcodezoo.com/Key/Animalia/Canidae_Family.asp)
Lycaon pictus, the African wild dog, the beautifully mottled pack hunters of central and southern Africa. L. pictus is said to be "crepuscular", meaning that they hunt during twilight hours in the early morning and just before dark.
They are deadly hunters, as relentless as other canids, relying on stamina and endurance to wear out their prey before they move in for the kill. L. pictus also happens to have the highest bite force quotient of all living Carnivora (Wroe et al. 2005).
Biologists trace the wild dog's ancestry (and indeed all of Carnivora) back to to Miacis, a small, weasel like mammal extant about 40 million years ago. The ancient North American hunter Tomarctus is the accepted common ancestor of all canids, including L. pictus. Tomarctus hunted on the plains of North America about 10 million years ago.
From Wikipedia.
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