Daphoenus fossil map
Where fossils of Daphoenus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 30 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 39.7–18.5 million years ago (Bartonian to Burdigalian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Amphicyonidae |
| Named by | Leidy 1853 |
| Fossil records | 156 occurrences at 33 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada |
| Rock formations | Brule, txn:41266, John Day, Chadron, Cypress Hills, White River |
About Daphoenus
Daphoenus is an extinct genus of amphicyonids, a group colloquially known as "bear-dogs". It includes not just some of the best preserved material out of any amphicyonid, but also the earliest members of the family, first appearing in the middle Eocene and surviving into the Early Oligocene. The members of the genus are rather small compared to some of its later relatives, such as Amphicyon or Ysengrinia, ranging in size from comparable to a house cat to a small wolf. It was widely distributed across North America, with most of its remains being discovered in the White River Group of the Great Plains, though the John Day Beds of Oregon and the Cypress Hills Formation in Saskatchewan also represent important fossil sites. Other specimens have been described from localities in Texas, Georgia, Florida, and California.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Daphoenus (revision 1379381690), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q3702459.
