Evolution Canis

skulls of dire wolf (c. dirus), gray wolf (c. lupus), eastern wolf (c. lycaon), red wolf (c. rufus), coyote (c. latrans), african golden wolf (c. anthus), golden jackal (c. aureus) , black-backed jackal (c. mesomelas)

the canids had emigrated north america eurasia – eucyon, vulpes, , nyctereutes – small medium-sized predators during late miocene , pliocene not top predators. position of canids change arrival of canis become dominant predator across holarctic. wolf-sized c. chihilensis appeared in northern china in mid-pliocene around 4-3 million ybp. followed explosion of canis evolution across eurasia in pleistocene around 1.8 million ybp in commonly referred wolf event. associated formation of mammoth steppe , continental glaciation. canis spread europe in forms of c. arnensis, c. etruscus, , c. falconeri. 1 study found diversity of canis group decreased end of pleistocene middle pleistocene , limited in eurasia small wolves of canis mosbachensis–canis variabilis group , large hypercarnivorous canis (xenocyon) lycaonoides.

see further: evolution of canids




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