A named cranium, associated skeletons and a 30-terminal matrix test an early branch near the base of Caniformia.
Represented range46.2–42 Ma
RegionsSouthern California, Uintan North American Land Mammal Age
CladesCarnivora · Caniformia · Lycophocyon
Claim ledger
topology · medium
UCMP 85202 and associated SDSNH skeletons preserve a craniodental–postcranial mosaic that the study’s 30-terminal morphology analysis places at the base of Caniformia; family assignment and diet remain unresolved or model-dependent.