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Tomarctus Temporal range: early to middle Miocene 20.43–13.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
T. brevirostris (=T. temerarius), collected from Nebraska. At the AMNH.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	†Borophaginae
Tribe:	†Borophagini
Subtribe:	†Aelurodontina
Genus:	†Tomarctus Cope, 1873
Type species
†Tomarctus brevirostris
Species
†T. brevirostris †T. hippophaga
Range of Tomarctus based on fossil distribution

Tomarctus is a canid genus of the extinct subfamily Borophaginae which inhabited most of North America during the late Early Miocene to the Early Barstovian age of the Middle Miocene (23—16 million years ago). Tomarctus existed for approximately 6.83 million years.

This animal shared a period and ecology with a variety of bear dogs, giant mustelid genera, and the genus of bone-crushing Canidae, Cynarctoides. As the bear dogs and giant mustelids became extinct, Tomarctus were a hyena-like fruit-eating canidae.

Species

The genus currently contains two accepted species, Tomarctus brevirostris and Tomarctus hippophaga.

Tomarctus brevirostris, synonymous with Aelurodon francisi, was named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1873. Fossil specimens have been found as far south as Panama, east to Plum Point, Maryland, west to California, and north to Montana.

Tomarctus hippophaga was first described by Matthew and Cook in 1909 from the Trojan Quarry, Olcott Formation, Nebraska. Specimens have since been found as far west as California and as far north as the Montana/Alberta, Canada line.

References

1. Wang, Xiaoming; Richard Tedford; Beryl Taylor (1999-11-17). "Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 243. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
2. Paleobiology Database: Tomarctus brevirostris
3. Paleobiology Database: Tomarctus hippophaga

• Martin, L.D. 1989. Fossil history of the terrestrial carnivora. Pages 536 - 568 in J.L. Gittleman, editor. Carnivore Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution, Vol. 1. Comstock Publishing Associates: Ithaca.
• Tedford, R.H. 1978. History of dogs and cats: A view from the fossil record. Pages 1 – 10 in Nutrition and Management of Dogs and Cats. Ralston Purina Co.: St. Louis.
• - Bio One Data Base - Tomarctus

v t e Extinct Canidae
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Caniformia
Canidae Canidae †Prohesperocyon †Hesperocyoninae Hesperocyon Mesocyon Cynodesmus Sunkahetanka Philotrox Enhydrocyon Paraenhydrocyon Caedocyon Ectopocynus Osbornodon O. brachypus O. fricki O. iamonensis O. renjiei O. sesnoni O. scitulus O. wangi †Borophaginae Archaeocyon Oxetocyon Otarocyon Rhizocyon Phlaocyonini Cynarctoides Phlaocyon P. achoros P. annectens P. latidens P. leucosteus P. mariae P. marslandensis P. minor P. multicuspus P. taylori P. yatkolai Borophagini Cormocyon Desmocyon Metatomarctus Euoplocyon Psalidocyon Microtomarctus Protomarctus Tephrocyon Cynarctina Paracynarctus Cynarctus Aelurodontina Tomarctus Aelurodon Borophagina Paratomarctus Carpocyon Protepicyon Epicyon Borophagus B. diversidens B. dudleyi B. hilli B. littoralis B. orc B. parvus B. pugnator B. secundus Caninae see below↓
Caninae Caninae †Leptocyon †Metalopex Urocyon †U. citrinus †U. galushai †U. minicephalus †U. progressus †U. webbi Vulpini †Ferrucyon †Prototocyon Nyctereutes (raccoon dogs) †N. abdeslami †N. donnezani †N. lockwoodi †N. megamastoides †N. sinensis †N. tingi †N. vinetorum Vulpes (true foxes) †V. hassani †V. odessana †V. praeglacialis †V. qiuzhudingi †V. riffautae †V. rooki †V. skinneri †V. stenognathus †V. gigas Canini (true dogs) †Canis gezi †Nurocyon Cerdocyonina (zorro) †Protocyon †Theriodictis Speothos †Pleistocene bush dog (S. pacivorus) †Dusicyon Falkland Islands wolf (D. australis) D. avus D. cultridens Lycalopex (South American foxes) †L. cultridens (?) †L. ensenadensis Canina (wolf-like canids) see below↓
Canina (wolf-like canids) Canina †Dire wolf (Aenocyon) †Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium) †Trinil dog (Mececyon) †Merriam's dog (Megacyon) †Xenocyon †Eucyon E. davisi E. debonisi E. ferox E. intrepidus E. khoikhoi E. kuta E. marinae E. minor E. monticinensis E. skinneri E. wokari E. zhoui Lycaon †L. magnus †L. sekowei Dhole (Cuon alpinus) †C. a. antiquus †C. a. caucasicus †European dhole (C. a. europaeus) †Tien Shan dhole (C. a. hesperius) Canis †C. adoxus †C. antonii †C. apolloniensis †Armbruster's wolf (C. armbrusteri) †C. arnensis †C. borjgali †C. cedazoensis †C. chihliensis †Edward's wolf (C. edwardii) †Etruscan wolf (C. etruscus) †C. lepophagus †Mosbach wolf (C. mosbachensis) †C. nehringi †C. palmidens †C. variabilis Coyote (C. latrans) †Pleistocene coyote (C. l. orcutti) Red wolf (C. rufus) †Florida black wolf (C. r. floridanus) †Gregory's wolf (C. r. gregoryi) Wolf (C. lupus) †Prehistoric C. l. bohemica C. l. lunellensis C. l. maximus C. l. santenaisiensis Cave wolf (C. l. spelaeus) Beringian wolf †Recently extinct Sicilian wolf (C. l. cristaldii) Hokkaido wolf (C. l. hattai) Japanese wolf (C. l. hodophilax) Austro-Hungarian wolf Synonymized under C. l. arctos: Bernard's wolf (C. l. bernardi) Synonymized under C. l. occidentalis: Kenai Peninsula wolf (C. l. alces) Manitoba wolf (C. l. griseoalbus) Synonymized under C. l. nubilus: Newfoundland wolf (C. l. beothucus) Cascade mountain wolf (C. l. fuscus) Mogollon mountain wolf (C. l. mogollonensis) Texas wolf (C. l. monstrabilis) Southern Rocky Mountain wolf (C. l. youngi)
See also: Evolution of the wolf Category:Extinct canids

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• Borophagines
• Miocene canids
• Serravallian extinctions
• Prehistoric mammals of North America
• Prehistoric carnivoran genera
• Burdigalian first appearances
• Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope
• Fossil taxa described in 1873
• Prehistoric carnivoran stubs
• Canid stubs