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Leptocyon vafer

Mammalia - Carnivora - Canidae

Taxonomy
Canis vafer was named by Leidy (1858). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Niobrara River (coll. Hayden 1857), which is in a Barstovian/Clarendonian terrestrial horizon in the Loup Fork Formation of Nebraska.

It was recombined as Tephrocyon vafer by Matthew (1909); it was recombined as Vulpes vafer by Stirton (1935) and Macdonald (1948); it was recombined as Leptocyon vafer by Matthew (1918), Galbreath (1953), Storer (1975), Voorhies (1990), Wang et al. (2008), Tedford et al. (2009) and May (2019).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1858Canis vafer Leidy p. 21
1873Canis vafer Leidy p. 315
1890Canis vafer Scott and Osborn p. 69
1902Canis vafer Hay p. 776
1909Tephrocyon vafer Matthew
1918Leptocyon vafer Matthew
1919Canis vafer Merriam
1935Vulpes vafer Stirton
1948Vulpes vafer Macdonald
1953Leptocyon vafer Galbreath
1975Leptocyon vafer Storer
1990Leptocyon vafer Voorhies
2008Leptocyon vafer Wang et al.
2009Leptocyon vafer Tedford et al. p. 34 figs. 3, 7, 9C–E, G, H, 14G–H, 15A–G, 16A–G, 17, 52, 61A; appendices 2, 4
2019Leptocyon vafer May

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
—Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
—Theriiformes()
—Trechnotheria
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—Laurasiatheria
—Scrotifera
—Ferae()
—CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
—CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivora
familyCanidae
subfamilyCaninaeGill 1872
genusLeptocyon
speciesvafer()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Leptocyon vafer Leidy 1858
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
R. H. Tedford et al. 2009Distinguished from L. leidyi by its significantly larger size (95% confidence interval for first lower molars of these taxa nearly separated;fig. 7), m2 shorter relative to m1 (fig. 7) with enlarged ante- rolabial cingulum and large metaconid, cranium lacks postparietal foramina, shows reduced cerebellar exposure, and nasals do not extend posterior to maxillary-frontal suture. Distinguished from L. tejonensis in longer muzzle and more widely spaced and anteroposteriorly longer premolars with stronger accessory cusps. L. vafer differs from L. matthewi in significantly smaller size, with no overlap of m1 95% confidence intervals (fig. 7) nasals do not extend poste- rior to maxillary-frontal suture, M2 lacks postprotocrista, m1 lacks hypoconulid shelf, and entoconid not enlarged.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingf
Diet: carnivoref
Diet 2: omnivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2005-08-22 19:28:06
Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Ji et al. 2002, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Nowak 1991, Lillegraven 1979

Age range: base of the Barstovian to the top of the Early/Lower Clarendonian or 16.30000 to 9.40000 Ma

Collections (51 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (South Dakota) Leptocyon vafer (18083)
Late/Upper Hemingfordian20.43 - 15.97USA (New Mexico) Leptocyon vafer (19339)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Nevada) Leptocyon vafer (19097)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (New Mexico) Leptocyon vafer (19274 19470 19519 19535)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Colorado) Leptocyon vafer (18220)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Nebraska) Leptocyon sp. (18141) Leptocyon vafer (18027 18031 18109 18125 18155 18164 18192 18209 18216 18232 18266 18275 18284 18337 18363 18442 18443) Vulpes vafer (18165)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5Canada (Saskatchewan) Leptocyon vafer (18788 18790 18797)
Barstovian - Clarendonian16.3 - 9.4USA (New Mexico) Leptocyon vafer (19531)
Barstovian - Clarendonian16.3 - 9.4USA (Nebraska) Canis vafer (190543) Leptocyon vafer (18077 18306)
Barstovian - Early/Lower Clarendonian16.3 - 9.4USA (New Mexico) Leptocyon vafer, Canidae indet. (19286)
Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (Nebraska) Leptocyon vafer (18106 18157 18217 18242 18260 18378)
Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (California) Leptocyon sp. (19145) Leptocyon vafer (19322 19323) Vulpes sp. (19517) Vulpes vafer (19185)
Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (Nevada) Leptocyon vafer (18845 19035)
Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (Texas) Leptocyon vafer, Canidae indet. (18611)
Late/Upper Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (Kansas) Leptocyon vafer (110829)
Late/Upper Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (New Mexico) Leptocyon vafer (19528)