Named By: | Unavailable |
Time Period: | Unavailable |
Location: | Russia |
Size: | Uncertain |
Diet: | Carnivore |
Fossil(s): | Partial remains |
Classification: | | Chordata | Mammalia | Carnivora | Canidae | Canis | |
In Eurasia during the Middle Pleistocene, Canis falconeri gave rise to the hypercarnivore genus Xenocyon, which then gave rise to genus Cuon (the dhole) and genus Lycaon (the African hunting dog). Just before the appearance of C. dirus, North America was invaded by genus Xenocyon that was as large as C. dirus and more hypercarnivorous. The fossil record shows them as rare and it is assumed that they could not compete with the newly derived C. dirus. The large wolf C. antonii from late Pliocene to early Pleistocene China was assessed as being a variation within C. chihliensis, and the large wolf C. falconeri occurred abruptly in Europe in the Early Pleistocene, perhaps representing a westward extension of C. antonii.