Protomarctus

Extinct genus of carnivores

Protomarctus Temporal range: Early Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	†Borophaginae
Tribe:	†Borophagini
Genus:	†Protomarctus Wang et al., 1999
Species:	†P. optatus
Binomial name
†Protomarctus optatus Matthew, 1924

Protomarctus is an extinct monospecific genus of the Borophaginae subfamily of canids native to North America. They lived during the Middle Miocene 16.0—13.6 Mya, existing for approximately 2.4 million years.^[1] It was an intermediate-size canid, and more predaceous than earlier borophagines.^[2]

The first specimen was found in Thomson Quarry, Sheep Creek Formation, Nebraska in a Hemingfordian layer. Specimens have since been found in present-day Colorado, as far west as California and as far southwest as New Mexico.^[1] They were short-faced, heavy-jawed canines.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b PaleoBiology Database: Protomarctus
^ Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H. (2008). Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. Columbia. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-231-13528-3.

†C. apolloniensis †C. armbrusteri †C. arnensis †C. cedazoensis †C. edwardii †C. etruscus †C. ferox †C. lepophagus
C. latrans	†C. l. orcutti
C. lupus	†C. l. alces †C. l. beothucus †C. l. bernardi †C. l. cristaldii †C. l. floridanus †C. l. fuscus †C. l. gregoryi †C. l. griseoalbus †C. l. hattai †C. l. hodophilax †C. l. mogollonensis †C. l. monstrabilis †C. l. nubilus †C. l. youngi