Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Carnivora. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Ecomorphology of the giant bear-dogs Amphicyon and Ischyrocyon; Sorkin, Boris. (2006). Historical Biology. 18. . 10.1080/08912960600618073.
Topic Started: Dec 1 2017, 08:48 PM (296 Views)
Taipan
Member Avatar
Administrator

Journal Reference:
Sorkin, Boris. (2006). Ecomorphology of the giant bear-dogs Amphicyon and Ischyrocyon. Historical Biology. 18. . 10.1080/08912960600618073.

Abstract
Giant bear-dogs of the genera Amphicyon and Ischyrocyon (Carnivora, Amphicyonidae, Amphicyoninae) were the largest carnivorans in North America during middle and late Miocene (17.5–8.8 Mya) with a dental and skeletal morphology that combined features found in living Ursidae, Canidae, and Felidae. This study tests previously proposed models of diet and hunting behaviour of these extinct carnivorans. Relative grinding area (RGA) of lower molars and wear pattern on upper molars suggest that bear-dogs were carnivorous. Amphicyon and Ischyrocyon possessed skeletal features of both ambush (short distal limb segments) and pursuit (caudally bent olecranon process of ulna) living predators. Therefore, bear-dogs probably pursued their prey (mediportal ungulates) for a longer distance but at a slower speed than do living ambush predators. Upon catching up to its prey a bear-dog probably seized it with powerfully muscled forelimbs and killed it by tearing into its ribcage or neck with canines set in a narrow rostrum.
Attached to this post:
Attached File Ecomorphology_of_the_giant_bear_dogs_Amphicyon_and_Ischyrocyon.pdf (837.9 KB)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Paper & PDF Share · Next Topic »
Add Reply