Daphoeninae

The Daphoeninae are an extinct subfamily of dog-like, terrestrial carnivores, which belonged to the family Amphicyonidae of the suborder Caniformia. The group inhabited North America from the Middle Eocene subepoch to the Middle Miocene subepoch 42—15.97 million years ago (Mya), existing for about 26.03 million years .[1]

Daphoeninae Temporal range: 42–15.97 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Middle Eocene-Middle Miocene
Daphoenodon skeleton.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	†Amphicyonidae
Subfamily:	†Daphoeninae Leidy, 1853
Type species
†Daphoenus vetus
Genera
Adilophontes Brachyrhyncocyon Daphoenictis Daphoenodon Daphoenus

Fossil distribution

Daphoenus fossils found in late Oligocene rocks in the Great Plains are dated about 28 million years old. Daphoenus survived to 27 Mya in the Pacific Northwest in the John Day beds of Oregon.[2] Other sites include: Alachua County, Florida (Whitneyan) estimated at 31.1—24.3 Ma., Tecuya Canyon, California (Arikareean age) 30.8—20.6 Ma., Haystack Member Formation, Wheeler County, Oregon (Hemingfordian) 20.6—16.3 Mya, Lac Pelletier, Alberta, Canada (Duchesnean) around 42 Mya.

References

1. Paleobiology Database: Daphoenus, age range and collections
2. Hunt, Robert M. Jr. (2004). "Global Climate and the Evolution of Large Mammalian Carnivores during the Later Cenozoic in North America" (PDF). Cenozoic Carnivores and Global Climate.