Zacarias; Daniella9th

December 3, 2008Earth ScienceDr. Brame

Evolution of Wolves

Evolution of Canis LupusFor many year wolves were considered the first canine, but they obviously had to come from somewhere. It started in the Late Carboniferous (about 300 million years ago), Synapsids appeared. Synapsids were mammal like reptiles, there were different kind of synapsids, some where cold-blooded, and some had warm-blood metabolisms. It started out with the Archaeothyris, the oldest one found, then came the Sphenacodon (found in the Early Permian), later on came the Nikkasaurus (found in the Middle Permian). After the Permian-Triassic extinction, a more common synapsid came out, the Lystrosaurus. The closest to mammal like species of synapsids Cynognathus, it was the largest predator found in the Triassic.

Years later in the Early Paleocene, the carnivorous mammal group called “Creodonts” they were technically; they were inefficient, slow, and clumsy. These were on replaced by Carnivores; the two kinds of meat eating animals are distinguished by differences in their shearing teeth, bones of the carpus, and auditory bullae.

Canivores are known for these assepts;The shearing teeth or carnassials are the upper fourth premolar and the lower first molar.In the carpus, fused scaphoid and lunar bones, and no centrale.Bony covering of the middle ear cavityLarge brains.

By the times of the Early Oligocene Hesperocyon appears in the northern parts of America. These canids are small fox-sized animals with muscular bodies, long tails, padded feet, and relatively short muzzles. They walk on their toes like modern canids and are good climbers. Their limbs and feet probably make them better fitted for running than the miacids. They have carnassials adapted for shearing and ossified auditory bullae.

Hesperocyonine dogs become extinct except for the Nothocyon and Leptocyon branches. This is in the Early Miocene.

In the Late Miocene, the Nocthocyon and Leptocyons evolve in North America with the appearance of three genera: Canis, Urocyon, and Vulpes.

Canis Urocyon Vulpes

Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus) Grey Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) Red Fox(Vulpes-vulpes)

*miacids

*wolf bone structure *wolf

*wolf *Lystrosaurus

M.Y.A Period What happened…? Picture

Info on PicturesTake a look at the bone structures, from a Canis Lupus (Grey Wolf) and a Lystrosaurus.

Even though there are many differences, you can clear see what is in common between the two bone structures.

Miacids were the size of today’s ferrets and were arboreal (meaning they live in trees).

Canis Lupus is found in North America.

Lystrosaurus appeared after the Permian-Triassic extinction.

300 Late Carboniferous Synapsids were mammal like

reptiles.

230 Middle Triassic Mammals evolve from the

therapsids.

64- 210

Late Triassic - Late Cretaceous The first mammal appears.

First carnivorous.

64-65 Late Cretaceous

Appearance of the insectivore genus Cimolestes, considered a basal carnivore group.

63 Early Paleocene

The carnivorous group of mammals, order Creodontia, appears.

60 Middle Paleocene Miacids are small: the average

one is about the size of a ferret

48 Middle Eocene

The two main branches of the Order Carnivora arise from the miacids: Caniformia (dogs, raccoons, bears, sea lions, seals, walruses, and weasels) and Feliformia (cats, hyenas, civets, genets, and mongooses).

37 Early Oligocene In North America, Hesperocyon

appears.

29 Late Oligocene

A bear dog (amphicyonid)* fills the large bone-crushing hunting dog group

23 Early Miocene

Hesperocyonine dogs become extinct except for the Nothocyon and Leptocyon branches.

16 - 23 Early Miocene -Middle Miocene

Tormactus appears (first house dog looking can)

9 - 10 Late Miocene

Southwest United States, the birthplace of modern dogs.

8 Late Miocene

Canines spread to Eurasia.

6 Late MioceneA wolf-like Canis appears in western Europe.

4 – 5 PlioceneCanines spread to Africa (Early Pliocene) and South America (Late Pliocene).

1.5 - 1.8

Early Pleistocene Canis edwardii is the first North

American canine clearly identifiable as a wolf.

0.8 Mid Pleistocene In North America, Canis

ambrusteri, a large wolf, appears

0.3 Late Pleistocene

The gray wolf Canis lupus fully develops in northern Eurasia and spreads all over Europe and northern Asia.

0.1 Late Pleistocene

Dire wolves appear in North America.

0.0025 Late Pleistocene -Holocene Modern day wolf!

Bibliography

http://www.searchingwolf.com/wevolve.htm

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