Paludocyon, Morales & Fejfar & Heizmann & Wagner & Valenciano & Abella, 2021

Morales, Jorge, Fejfar, Oldřich, Heizmann, Elmar, Wagner, Jan, Valenciano, Alberto & Abella, Juan, 2021, The Amphicyoninae (Amphicyonidae, Carnivora, Mammalia) Of The Early Miocene From Tuchořice, The Czech Republic, Fossil Imprint 77 (1), pp. 126-144 : 128

Genus Paludocyon n. gen.

T y p e a n d o n l y s p e c i e s. Pseudocyon bohemicus

SCHLOSSER, 1899.

E t y m o l o g y. From the Latin paludes, which means swampy areas, in relation to the marshy/ lacustrine sediments from the locality of Tuchořice.

D i a g n o s i s. Medium sized Amphicyonini , lower premolar row without diastemas, p4 small, with wide talonid. The m1 is robust, trigonid with low paraconid and large metaconid. The talonid is wider than the trigonid; it comprises a strong, high hypoconid, the lingual base is thickened apically, and has a subdivided entoconid. The m2 is short in comparison with the m1, and presents a reduced entoconid. P4 slender, with mesially elongated paracone and weak parastyle; the protocone is relatively strong and mesially located. The M1 shows two morphotypes, one subtriangular due to the narrowed lingual area, and the second with a subquadrangular lingual area. The paracone is high compared to the metacone. The metaconule is broad and clearly differentiated from the protocone. The M2 has a quadrangular occlusal shape, with a short buccal wall and a wide transversal diameter; metacone reduced. M3 and m3 reduced, with simple morphology.

D i f f e r e n t i a l d i a g n o s i s. Paludocyon n. gen. differs from Pseudocyon sansaniensis LARTET, 1851 (type species of Pseudocyon ) in the greater robustness of its m1 and m2; the greater width of the m1 talonid and in its strong hypoconid which occupies almost the entire area of the talonid; additionally, the p4 and m2 exhibit a smaller reduction compared to the m1. It differs from Cynelos in the limited development of the distal molars (M2/M3 and m2/m3) compared with the first molars; it also differs in the significant reduction of the lower premolars, including p4; the greater width of the m1 talonid in relation to the trigonid and the greater height and size of its hypoconid, together with the reduction of the entoconid. The P4 of Paludocyon n. gen. has an elongated paracone mesial crista, whereas in Cynelos it is short and more vertical. The metacone of the M2 is smaller than the paracone, while in Cynelos lemanensis both are similar in size. Differences when compared to Amphicyon major BLAINVILLE, 1841 are also evident. Apart from the larger size, its dentition is characterized by the great width of the crushing dentition. Additionally, the A. major m1 trigonid is better developed than that in the Paludocyon species. Paludocyon also differs from Amphicyon in the reduced development of the distal molars relative to the first molars. This relatively small size of the distal molars in Paludocyon also enables it to be differentiated from Megamphicyon , which has large distal molars. Paludocyon differs from Heizmannocyon as the latter shows more specialized characters, such as: 1) the presence of more developed diastemas between the lower premolars; 2) the strong reduction of the lower premolars, including p4; 3) a higher m1 with a stronger hypoconid, placed in a central position; 4) a short robust P4, with the protocone distally displaced and reduced; 5) M1 showing a trapezoidal occlusal shape, enlarged trigone and reduced lingual area; 6) M2 with a longer buccal wall and a shortened buccolingual diameter.