Pseudocyon, also known as Amphicyonopsis, 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 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 belonging to the suborder Caniformia

Caniformia

Caniformia, or Canoidea , is a suborder within the order Carnivora. They typically possess a long snout and non-retractile claws . The Pinnipedia evolved from caniform ancestors and are accordingly assigned to this group...

, family of Amphicyonidae ("bear dog") and which inhabited Euroasia

Euroasia

Euroasia is a New Zealand-based provider of European and Asian language training, cross cultural consulting and translation services.In 2007, Euroasia was recognised by National Business Review as the third most exciting company in education, for their unique contribution to the education...

 and 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...

 from the Miocene

Miocene

The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...

 epoch to the Late Miocene

Late Miocene

The Late Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch....

 subepoch living 23.3—7.2 Mya. Pseudocyon existed for approximately .

Pseudocyon was assigned to Amphicyoninae

Amphicyoninae

Amphicyoninae is a subfamily of extinct Amphicyonidae, large terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia and which inhabited North America, Europe, Eurasia, Asia. and Africa from ~22.4—4.9 Ma. Amphicyoninae existed for approximately ~.Amphicyoninae was named by Trouessart...

 by Hunt in 1988 and to Amphicyonidae by Lartet (1851), Carroll (1988) and Pickford et al. in 2000. It is synonymous with Amphicyonopsis.

Fossil distribution

Specimens were located in Belomechetskaia Russian Federation, Santa Cruz, New Mexico

Santa Cruz, New Mexico

Santa Cruz is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 423 at the 2000 census.-Colonial period:...

, Pontigne and Malartic, a la ferme Larrieu, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

.