Engrossment

The carnivoran ancestors of the dog-like caniforms and the cat-like feliforms began their separate evolutionary paths just after the end of the... more

by Barbara Keith

Original - Sold

Price

Not Specified

Dimensions

18.000 x 12.000 inches

Title

Engrossment

Artist

Barbara Keith

Medium

Drawing - Colored Pencil

Description

The carnivoran ancestors of the dog-like caniforms and the cat-like feliforms began their separate evolutionary paths just after the end of the dinosaurs. The first members of the dog family Canidae appeared 40 million years ago, of which only its subfamily the Caninae survives today in the form of the wolf-like and fox-like canines. The caniforms included the fox-like genus Leptocyon whose various species existed from 34 million YBP before branching 11.9 million YBP into Vulpes (foxes) and Canini (canines). The jackal-sized Eucyon existed in North America from 10 million YBP and by the Early Pliocene about 6–5 million YBP the coyote-like Eucyon davisi invaded Eurasia. In North America it gave rise to early Canis which first appeared in the Miocene (6 million YBP) in south-western US and Mexico. By 5 million YBP the larger Canis lepophagus appeared in the same region.

The fossil record is incomplete but it is likely that wolves arose from a population of small, early canids. Morphological evidence and genetic evidence both suggest that wolves evolved during the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene eras from the same lineage that also led to the coyote, with fossil specimens indicating that the coyote and the wolf diverged from a common ancestor 1.5 million years ago. The ancestor of the jackal and the other extant members of the genus Canis had split from the lineage before this time (Wikipedia).

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Uploaded

July 9th, 2021