Prohesperocyon" is an extinct genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of physically small terrestrial

Terrestrial animal

Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...

 carnivore

Carnivore

A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...

s 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...

 Miacidae endemic to 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...

 appearing during the Late Eocene around 36.6—36.5 mya (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...

). The time of extinction is unknown.

Taxonomy

Prohesperocyon was named by Xiaoming Wang

Xiaoming Wang

Xiaoming Wang is a noted paleontologist and geologist born in People's Republic of China living in the United States.-Area of expertise:Dr. Wang specializes in the fossil evolution, systematics, and phylogeny of mammals of the Cenozoic...

, Ph.D. in 1994. It was later verified by K. Munthe in 1998, Wesley-Hunt in 2005, and Werdelin
2006, P. D. Polly et al. p. 1023. Only a single species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

, Prohesperocyon wilsoni, is recognized and considered the type or origin species.

Body mass

One specimen was examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass. The specimen was estimated to weigh 2.21 kg (4.9 lb).

Fossil distribution

P. wilsoni was unearthed at the Airstrip (TMM 40504) site, Presidio County, Texas

Presidio County, Texas

Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 7,304. Its county seat is Marfa. Presidio County is in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and is named for the ancient border settlement of Presidio del Norte.-Geography:Presidio County is triangular in...

 dating between 36.6—36.5 million years ago. This fossil species bears a combination of features that definitively mark it as a Canidae, including teeth that include the loss of the upper third molar (a general trend in canids toward a more shearing bite), and the characteristically enlarged bony bulla

Bulla

-People:* Anton Bulla, a Slovak footballer and coach* Clyde Robert Bulla , an American author of books for children* Johnny Bulla, an American golfer* Karl Bulla, a Russian photographer* Max Bulla, an Australian bicycle racer...

(the rounded covering over the middle ear). Based on what we know about its descendants, Prohesperocyon likely had slightly more elongated limbs than its predecessors, along with toes that were parallel and closely touching, rather than splayed, as in bears.