Enhydrocyon

Enhydrocyon; Temporal range: Oligocene–Early Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	†Hesperocyoninae
Genus:	†Enhydrocyon; Cope, 1879
Type species
	†Enhydrocyon stenocephalus;
Species
	See text
	Range of Enhydrocyon fossil evidence

Enhydrocyon is an extinct genus of bone-crushing borophagine canid which inhabited North America during the Oligocene and Early Miocene, 30.8—20.4 Ma, existing for approximately 11 million years.

Description

Enhydrocyon had more specialised and strongly decussating Hunter-Schreger bands (HSBs) compared to earlier canids. It possessed a short snout and deep jaws reminiscent of a jaguar. These features give the skull a shape resembling that of the extant sea otter (Enhydra), prompting the scientific name. Enhydrocyon had an estimated weight of about 10 kilograms (22 lb).

Palaeobiology

Diet

Species of Enhydrocyon were relatively large, powerfully built carnivores. Enhydrocyon was the earliest genus of canid adapted to be specialized predators. The dentition of Enhydrocyon suggests this animal was a hypercarnivore or mesocarnivore.

Species

†Enhydrocyon basilatus Cope 1879
†E. crassidens Matthew 1907
†E. pahinsintewakpa Macdonald 1963
†E. sectorius Cope 1883
†E. stenocephalus Cope 1879

References

↑ Enhydrocyon at fossilworks
↑ Figueirido, Borja; Martín-Serra, A.; Tseng, Zhijie Jack; Janis, Christine M. (18 August 2015). "Habitat changes and changing predatory habits in North American fossil canids". Nature Communications. 6 (1). doi:10.1038/ncomms8976. hdl:10630/32918. ISSN 2041-1723. Retrieved 26 September 2026 – via Nature Publishing Group.
1 2 David Macdonald. The Velvet Claw: A Natural History of the Carnivores. BBC Books: London; 1992. p83.
1 2 Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H. (2008). Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. Columbia. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-231-13528-3.
↑ R. M. Nowak. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Press (edited volume) II

Wang, Xiaoming (1994). "Phylogenetic systematics of the Hesperocyoninae (Carnivora, Canidae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 221: 1–207. hdl:2246/829.

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[1] Enhydrocyon at fossilworks

[2] Figueirido, Borja; Martín-Serra, A.; Tseng, Zhijie Jack; Janis, Christine M. (18 August 2015). "Habitat changes and changing predatory habits in North American fossil canids". Nature Communications. 6 (1). doi:10.1038/ncomms8976. hdl:10630/32918. ISSN 2041-1723. Retrieved 26 September 2026 – via Nature Publishing Group.

[TheVelvetClaw-3] 1 2 David Macdonald. The Velvet Claw: A Natural History of the Carnivores. BBC Books: London; 1992. p83.

[Wang2008-4] 1 2 Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H. (2008). Dogs, Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. Columbia. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-231-13528-3.

[5] R. M. Nowak. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Press (edited volume) II