Magericyon
Name:
Magericyon
(Magerit dog).
Phonetic: Ma-ger-e-sy-on.
Named By: Stephane Peigne, Manuel J. Salesa,
Mauricio, Anton & Jorge Morales - 2008.
Synonyms: Amphicyon castellanus.
Classification: Chordata, Mammalia, Carnivora,
Caniformia, Amphicyonidae, Amphicyoninae.
Species: M. anceps (type), M.
castellanus.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Details unavailable.
Known locations: Spain, Madrid - Cerro de
Battalions-1 (Battalions Hill).
Time period: Late Miocene.
Fossil representation: Partial remains of at least
12 individuals, including 5 juveniles.
The
fossil material for Magericyon was originally
described as a species of
Amphicyon
until a new study by Peigne et al in 2008. Magericyon
was found to be different from Amphicyon by close
study of the form and
proportion of the teeth. In naming the new genus the describers chose
the name Magericyon from the word Magerit, the
original name for
Madrid combined with the ancient Greek for cyon which means dog.
Magericyon was further split into two species with M.
anceps having
shorter and narrower canine teeth than M. castellanus.
Magericyon
remains are known from the Cerro de Battalions area of Spain which has
been interpreted as a natural predator trap due to the exceptionally
high abundance of carnivorous mammals in this area. Studies of modern
large predatory mammals indicate that predators most likely to go after
animals and carrion stuck in predator traps are those that live in
groups, although solitary predators are also known to do this. This
might hint at possible pack hunting for Magericyon,
particularly
since juvenile remains have also been found, although this may be
indicative of family groups where the young stay and scavenge with the
parent.
Other
predators known from this region include sabre-toothed cats such as
Machairodus.
Further reading
- A new amphicyonine (Carnivora, Amphicyonidae) from the upper Miocene
of Batallones-1, Madrid, Spain. - Palaeontology 51(4):943-965. - S.
Peigné, M. J. Salesa, M. Antón & J. Morales - 2008.
- Comparative Anatomy of the Shoulder Region in the Late Miocene
Amphicyonid Magericyon anceps (Carnivora): Functional and
Paleoecological Inferences. - Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 22:
243–258. - G. Siliceo, M. J. Salesa, M. Antón, J. F. Pastor &
J. Morales - 2015.
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