Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo05amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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FOSSIL CARNIVORA Canid^, or Dogs. 39 The living species of Canidae—Wolves, Coyotes, Foxes—are found only in the most recent deposits (Pleistocene). A great variety of extinct species is known, some of which are the ances- tors of modem forms, while others belong to side branches which ha^-e not survived. Most remarkable of these side branches were the Amphicyons or Bear-like Dogs, some of which were of huge size, equalling the modem Polar Bear—see skull and backbone of Dinocyon in wall-case No. 8. A large series of skulls of vari-
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FIQ. 15. SKULL OF DINOCYON A gigantic extinct dog from the Upper Miocene of Texas. One-fourth natural size ous extinct Dogs of the Oligocene and Miocene epochs is shown in the table-case. These indicate the evolution of the modem species from animals much more like the Civets in proportions and in the character of their teeth. It has been possible to trace out the probable direct lineage of at least two of the modem dogs, the Dhole of India, and certain South American foxes, through these North American fossil species. Other fossil species belong to races of Canids now extinct. The increase in brain capacity from ancient to modem ani- mals is well shown in this senes of skulls. All ancient Dogs had small brains of inferior organization to their modem descendants.

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