Dukecynus fossil map
Where fossils of Dukecynus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 13.8–11 million years ago (Serravallian to Tortonian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Borhyaenidae |
| Named by | Goin 1997 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Colombia |
| Rock formations | Villavieja |
About Dukecynus
Dukecynus is an extinct genus of meat-eating metatherian belonging to the order Sparassodonta, which lived in South America during the Middle Miocene (Laventan), between about 13.8 and 11.8 million years ago. The name of the genus meaning "Duke dog", for Duke University and the Greek word cynos, dog, for the pretended similarity of this animal with dogs. A single species known so far, Dukecynus magnus. The species name "magnus" derives from Latin for big, to reflect their great size.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Dukecynus (revision 1345650774), 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: Q5313161.
