Enhydrocyon is an extinct genus of bone crushing dog

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...

 exclusively 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 around 28.7—22.0 Ma (AEO

Appearance Event Ordination

Appearance Event Ordination or AEO is a scientific method for biochronology through the ordering of the appearance of fossil mammal genera by multivariate analysis, using conjunctional and disconjunctional range distributions in large sets of data.-Process:AEO is based on faunal overlap and...

) and existed for approximately .
Enhydrocyons 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

Enhydrocyon was named by Cope (1879). Its type is Enhydrocyon stenocephalus. It was assigned to Canidae by Cope (1879) and Munthe (1998).

Morphology

Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 22.1 kg (48.7 lb). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 22.4 kg (49.4 lb).

Species

• †Enhydrocyon basilatus (23.5—22.7 Ma AEO
  Appearance Event Ordination
  Appearance Event Ordination or AEO is a scientific method for biochronology through the ordering of the appearance of fossil mammal genera by multivariate analysis, using conjunctional and disconjunctional range distributions in large sets of data.-Process:AEO is based on faunal overlap and...
  
  ). One specimen found at the Manville site, Niobrara County, Wyoming. One specimen weighed 70 lbs.

• †Enhydrocyon crassidens (24.4—22.7 Ma AEO). Type locality: Monroe Creek (American Museum of Natural History, Rosebud 12), Shannon County, South Dakota
  Shannon County, South Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 12,466 people, 2,785 households, and 2,353 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 3,123 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
  
  . Weight estimated to be 45-50 lbs. (Legendre & Roth).

• †Enhydrocyon pahinsintewakpa (~24.5—23.3 Ma AEO). Type locality: Sharps SDSM V-5361 aka LACM 1983 (Sharps Formation), Shannon County, South Dakota
  Shannon County, South Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 12,466 people, 2,785 households, and 2,353 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 3,123 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
  
  . Weight was approximately 40-45 lbs. (John Alroy), (Legendre & Roth, S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988.

• †Enhydrocyon sectorius (nomen vanum)

• †Enhydrocyon stenocephalus (25.9—25.7 Ma (AEO). John Day Units G, H, I, and J., Wheeler County, Oregon
  Wheeler County, Oregon
  As of the census of 2000, there were 1,547 people, 653 households, and 444 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile . There were 842 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile...
  
  . Weight 45-50 lbs. (Legendre & Roth).