Adilophontes

Name: Adilophontes.
Phonetic: A-dil-o-fon-tes
Named By: R. M. Hunt Jr. ‬-‭ ‬2002.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Carnivora,‭ ‬Caniformia,‭ ‬Amphicyonidae,‭ ‬Daphoeninae.
Species: A.‭ ‬brachykolos‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Weight estimated between‭ ‬68-69‭ ‬kilograms.
Known locations: USA,‭ ‬Wyoming.
Time period: Chattian of the Oligocene to Aquitanian of the Miocene.
Fossil representation: Remains of three individuals.

       At almost seventy kilos,‭ ‬Adilophontes was a large daphoenine bear dog,‭ ‬a group of bear dogs so far only known from North America.‭ ‬This large size meant that it was even larger than the largest species of Hyaenodon in North America,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬horridus,‭ ‬and along with other large forms such as Amphicyon and on-going climate change driving a shift in different prey species,‭ ‬Adilophontes likely contributed to the demise of the creodonts as top mammalian predators.

Further reading
- New amphicyonid carnivorans (Mammalia, Daphoeninae) from the early Miocene of southeastern Wyoming. - American Museum Novitates 3385:1-41 - R. M. Hunt Jr. - 2002.



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