Alopecocyon

Alopecocyon; Temporal range: mid-Miocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Ailuridae
Subfamily:	†Simocyoninae
Genus:	†Alopecocyon; Camp & Vanderhoof, 1940
Type species
	†Alopecocyon goeriachensis; (Toula, 1884)
Species
	†A. goeriachensis (Toula, 1884); †A. getti Mein, 1958
Synonyms
	Ichneugale Jourdan, 1862 (nomen oblitum); Viretius Kretzoi, 1947; Meiniogale Ginsburg, 2002;

Alopecocyon is a fossil genus of ailurid belonging to the subfamily Simocyoninae. It has two species, Alopecocyon goeriachensis and Alopecocyon getti. It is based on fragmentary fossils dating to the middle Miocene of both Europe and Asia.^[1]

Taxonomy and evolution

The species A. goerichiachensis was first described (but in a different genus) in 1884.^[2] The genus was first named in 1940.^[3] A second species A. getti was described in 1958.^[4]

The species A. getti was proposed to be moved to a new genus Meiniogale in 2002, but this was rejected.^[5]

Characteristics

Alopecocyon differed from the earlier Amphictis in that it had relatively larger second molars compared to the first molars.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Salesa, Manuel J.; Peigné, Stéphane; Antón, Mauricio; Morales, Jorge (2011). "Evolution of the Family Ailuridae". Red Panda. pp. 27–41. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4377-7813-7.00003-3. ISBN 9781437778137.
^ Toula, F. (1884). "Ueber einige Sa ̈ugethierreste von Göriach bei Turnau (Bruck A.M.), Nord Steiermark". Jahrbuch der kaiserlich-königlichen geologischen Reichsanstalt. 34: 385–401.
^ Camp, C.L.; Vanderhoof, V.L. (1940). "Bibliography of fossil vertebrates 1928–1933". Geological Society of America Special Papers. 27: 1–503. doi:10.1130/SPE27-p1.
^ Mein, P. (1958). "Les mammifères de la faune sidérolitique de Vieux-Collonges". Nouvelles Archives du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de Lyon (in French). 5: 3–122. doi:10.3406/mhnly.1958.987. S2CID 155530802.
^ Morlo, Michael; Peigné, Stéphane (2010). "Molecular and morphological evidence for Ailuridae and a review of its genera". Carnivoran Evolution. pp. 121–123. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139193436.005. ISBN 9780521515290.

Beaumont, G. de (1964). "Essai sur la position taxonomique des genres Alopecocyon Viret et Simocyon Wagner (Carnivora)". Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae. 57: 829–836.