Borophagus diversidens[1] Temporal range:Early Pleistocene (Blancan)2.58–1.8 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	†Borophagus
Species:	†B. diversidens
Binomial name
†Borophagus diversidens Cope, 1892
Synonyms
†Felis hillianusCope, 1932 †Hyaenognathus matthewiFreudenberg (1910) †Hyaenognathus pachyodonMerriam, 1903 †Hyaenognathus solusStock (1932) †Porthocyon dubiusMerriam, 1903

Borophagus diversidens ("devouring glutton") is an extinctspecies of thegenusBorophagus of thesubfamilyBorophaginae, a group ofcanids endemic toNorth America during theEarly Pleistocene from the 2.58—1.8Ma.^[2]

Borophagus diversidens was named by Cope in 1892. Members of its subfamily, Borophaginae, are loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "hyena-like" dogs. Though not the most massive borophagine by size or weight, it had a more highly evolved capacity to crunch bone than earlier, larger genera such asEpicyon, which seems to be an evolutionary trend of the group (Turner, 2004). During the Pliocene epoch,Borophagus began being displaced byCanis genera such asCanis edwardii and later byAnecyon dirus. Early species ofBorophagus were placed in the genusOsteoborus until recently, but thegenera are now considered synonyms.^[1]B. diversidens possibly led a hyena-like lifestyle scavenging carcasses of recently dead animals. Although Recent studies suggest that Borophagus have hunted their own prey like modern spotted hyena. So Borophagus are both Predators and Scavenger.

Typical features of this genus are a bulging forehead and powerful jaws; it was probably ahunter and a scavenger when the opportunity present itself.^[3] Its crushingpremolar teeth and strong jaw muscles would have been used to crack open bone, much like thehyena of the Old World. The adult animal is estimated to have been about 80 centimetres (31 in) in length, similar to acoyote, although it was much more powerfully built.^[4]

Borophagus diversidens was recombined asDinocyon (Borophagus) diversidens by Matthew in 1902 and then recombined asDinocyon diversidens by Matthew the same year. It was recombined asHyaenarctos diversidens.^{[citation needed]}

Borophagus diversidens fossil specimens are very widespread from 2 sites in centralFlorida to centralMexico, from westernOregon and westernWashington toNew Mexico,Arizona, andTexas.

• Alan Turner, "National Geographic: Prehistoric Mammals" (Washington, D.C.: Firecrest Books Ltd., 2004), pp. 112–114.ISBN 0-7922-7134-3
• Xiaoming Wang,"The Origin and Evolution of the Dog Family" Accessed 1/30/06.

• Picture of anOsteoborus skull in a museum, from "World of the Wolf." (Accessed 6/19/06)
• Russell Hunt,"Ecological Polarities Of the North American Family Canidae: A New Approach to Understanding Forty Million Years of Canid Evolution" (Accessed 1/30/06).
• Wang et al., "Phylogenetic Systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora:Canidae)."Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, No. 243, Nov. 17 1999. (PDF) (Accessed 4/11/06)

• Borophagines
• Miocene canids
• Pliocene carnivorans
• Prehistoric mammals of North America

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