Ectopocynus is an extinct genus of small bone crushing carnivorous mammal

Mammal

Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...

 similar to a dog

Dog

The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Canidae

Canidae

Canidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...

) which inhabited North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

  during the Oligocene

Oligocene

The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...

 living from 33.3—16.0 Ma and existed for approximately .
Though a carnivore, dentition suggests this animal was a hypercarnivore

Hypercarnivore

A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat, with the balance consisting of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material. Some examples include the big cats, dolphins, eagles, snakes, marlin, most sharks, and such invertebrates as octopuses and sea...

 or mesocarnivore

Mesocarnivore

A mesocarnivore is an animal whose diet consists of 50–70% meat with the balance consisting of nonvertebrate foods which may include fungi, fruits, and other plant material...

.

Taxonomy

Ectopocynus was named by Wang (1994). Its type is Ectopocynus simplicidens. It was assigned to Canidae by Wang (1994) and Munthe (1998).

Morphology

Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 16.5 kg (36.4 lb). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 15.2 kg (33.5 lb).

Ectopocynus is best described as having simple, robust, and blunt yet massive premolar

Premolar

The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or...

s and reduced or lost cusp

Cusp (dentistry)

A cusp is an occlusal or incisal eminence on a tooth.Canine teeth, otherwise known as cuspids, each possess a single cusp, while premolars, otherwise known as bicuspids, possess two each. Molars normally possess either four or five cusps...

 on lower molars. In this respect, Ectopocynus has many of the characteristics of Enhydrocyon

Enhydrocyon

Enhydrocyon is an extinct genus of bone crushing dog which inhabited North America exclusively during the Oligocene living from around 28.7—22.0 Ma and existed for approximately ....

. Remains of Ectopocynus are limited to mandible

Mandible

The mandible pronunciation or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place...

s and teeth only.