ExtinctZoo - The Largest ‘Dog’ To Ever Walk The Earth

Episode Date: April 22, 2024

Cats vs Dogs - a debate as old as time itself. Unfortunately for dog lovers, felines always seem to have the upper hand when it comes to size. But once upon a time there was a dog that could give even the big cats a run for their money. Meet the Epicyon, the lion sized, bone crushing canine of North America.

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Co-Pilot handles the spreadsheets. Learn more at M365Copilot.com slash work. You have most likely heard of the term, big cats, which refers to any member of the genus panthera, as well as the two non-pantherine felines, the cheetah, and the cougar. Together, these cats form arguably the most successful group of carnivores currently seen on earth, with roughly 75% of the world's countries, having one or more big cats present as an apex predator. This is a remarkable feat, and their dominion also stretches back for millions of years.

with the first of the big cats arising during the late Miocene some six million years ago. However, despite their successes, these felines are by no means alone when it comes to ferocious carnivores, as other groups have their fair share of those as well, including the Kennedy group. Members of this family are colloquially referred to as dogs, and consist of domesticated dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes, among others. Like the big cats, they too have a worldwide distribution. Yet, unlike their whiskered adversaries, canids tend to be much smaller, with the largest living wild canad, the grey wolf, only being comparable to the second smallest big cat, the snow leopard, which leads to the question of where are all the quote-unquote big dogs? The simple answer to that is that they are long gone.

But, once upon a time, giant dogs, or canids, were thriving and ruling various parts of the earth, with the biggest and most frightening of the bunch, being the ancient bone-crushing epi-on. Despite being the largest canad of all time, you likely haven't heard much, if at all, about this prehistoric beast, as it simply hasn't been portrayed in mainstream media, and yet it's been known about for a long time, with its first remains being discovered over 160 years ago in Nebraska and the United States. The holotype consisted of an extremely fragmented but recognizable lower jaw, which was wolf-like in nature, leading it to being classified as a subgenus of canis. However, as more remains were found throughout the years, paleontologists came to

understand that this was no canis. As more completed skulls that included the top sections showed that the skull wasn't really as wolf-like as originally thought. In fact, due to specialized in large premolars, this ancient nightmare had a head that in some ways resembled more closely a lion or hyena than a wolf. Although, despite clearly not being a canis, the rest of its body was still more similar to other canids than anything else, which begged the question of what exactly this new creature was. And the answer was determined by its unusual skull, as the specialized premolars it possessed,

along with the heavy nature of the jaw, were hallmarked traits seen in just one other known canad group, the Borofaginé. This is one of the three sub-families that make up the larger Canadi family, and contains 66 species that were characterized by powerful teeth, deep shortened jaws, and fifth toes. Members of this group were found through a prehistoric North America for over 15 million years, and they drastically ranged in size, with some being smaller than a fox, while others could get larger than gray wolves. And the epision was the biggest of them all, so big that its size ultimately.

gave way to its new name, which means more than a dog. However, not all epision were true giants, as there were three species that varied in size. The Sevis, Ilerodontoid's, and the Hedony. Both the Sevis and the Ilerodontoid were smaller species and sported more slender builds. But this is just relatively speaking, of course, as they were actually quite sizable, with adults sometimes weighing twice the weight of an adult German shepherd. shepherd. But it was the epision haydeny, which was the true monster. As specimens indicate that fully matured individuals routinely measured 2.4 meters or 7.9 feet in length, while standing

90 centimeters or 35 inches tall at the shoulders, leading to it being as long as a grizzly bear and as tall as a wild deer. This large frame resulted in it weighing anywhere from 100 to 125 kilograms or 220 to 276 pounds on average, making it heavier than a leopard and comparable to large jaguars. Yet, that Bessayan also exhibited a high degree of size polymorphism, meaning that body size varied widely among individuals, as demonstrated by a giant humorous that based on measurements belong to an adult that weighed around 170 kilograms or 370 pounds. This made it heavier than any known canad and equal in weight to a medium-sized lion, the second largest feline currently alive. It was thanks to this size that the Epision was able to tackle larger prey than most canids,

both extinct and extent. But this wasn't its only unusual trait, as the epision also had a vicious bite that put it on a whole different playing field than most carnivores. Because, along with having enlarged premolars, the epision also possessed large canines that were fitted for proportionally very close to the back of its lower jaw, which helped to focus a lot of force into the tips of its canines when it bit, resulting in devastating bites that were further empowered by large muscles and robust jawbones. Currently, rough estimates have suggested that this killer bite may have surpassed 16,000 newtons, which is about the same bite force as seen in large American alligators. With such power that Bessayan was able to easily pierce through the skin, flesh and bones of various

animals, likely delivering death by attacking vulnerable parts of their bodies, such as the neck, head or spine. Studies on its teeth and habitat indicate that its main food sources consisted of camels, pronghorns, horses, peccary, and even rhinoceroses, like the teleosaurus, which could reach 13 feet or 4 meters long and weigh nearly two tons. For these larger animals, it's also thought that the epision may have relied on a form of pack hunting, This anecdotal evidence suggests that it was likely a social creature. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that nearly all well-studied Canadi members are

known to be quite social, with all living members of this family exhibiting higher levels of socialness compared to the average animal. Additionally, along with being gregarious creatures, most extended members are known to hunt in cooperation with each other, with only few exceptions being found, such as in foxes, the mained wolf, and the coyote. Although, the latter does occasionally hunt in pairs. And beyond theoretical evidence, there is also some solid evidence in fossils, no pun intended, that further support this idea.

Notably, fossil records show that it was one of the most prevalent and abundant meat eaters in North America during the entire Miocene period, an accomplishment which is typically only seen in animals that exhibit a degree of pack life. The build of the Episian's body also adds yet more indirect evidence of its social behavior. As compared to most canids, it was constructed much more stockily and sported robust bones that were weighed down by its hefty frame. This made it less cursorial than its relatives, meaning it wasn't well adapted for running, and would have had to instead rely on short bursts of speed, which would thus make pack life more advantageous, as it would help bridge the endurance gap this predator had. Although, it's still very possible that the epasion was purely a solo hunter, and in which case it was no doubt still successful.

and probably would have targeted more slower, bigger prey than other predators. Additionally, the Epision did have one more trade as well that gave it a huge advantage, even if it did work alone, and that is its bone-crushing abilities. As mentioned, this canad had an extremely strong bite, but it also had specialized premolars and thickened molars that were short, pyramid-like in shape, and wide at the base. This gave them a similar look to the teeth of the hyena. of the hyena, which is well known for eating bone, leading paleontologists to believe that the

epasion probably did the same. Not to mention, this canad had its powerful skull and biting muscles as well, which would have allowed it to easily crunch and munch their bones like hyenas do. This is a case of convergent evolution, as hyenas and epision are obviously not closely related. This bone-eating behavior has actually also been confirmed through fossilized feces, which contained large amounts of bone within them. It is thought that this trait would have been used to scavenge large animals and also make the most out of every kill by granting it access to the nutritious bone marrow within.

This feature would have especially came in handy during periods of scarcity, as the epision inhabited North America through the early and late Miocene, where over millions of years, the climate fluctuated from hot to cold, wet to dry, and sometimes back and forth. bringing many hardships in the ecosystem it inhabited. And in these challenging times, the epicyon could further rely on its teeth. As in addition to crushing bone, they possibly also resulted in a wide, partially omnivorous, diet. This is because the molars and premolars were grindstone-like, making the consumption of fruit, meat, tough plants, vegetables, and even the occasional invertebrates, viable.

Such a diet is actually seen in some living canons today, like the main wolf. which based on some studies, get more than 50% of its calories from vegetable matter. However, such a high percentage is very unlikely in the epision. Clearly, though, its diet worked wonders for it, as the epision was able to expand throughout large parts of what is today America, being found in over 10 different states, while also expanding into southern Canada. Throughout these lands, its remains have been associated with a large variety of different habitats,

ranging from woodlands, savannas, and grasslands, to wetlands, cave systems, and even edge environments which occur when two different habitats meet. Naturally, thanks to its large range, the epicion lived with many other creatures, including the mammals, Amimelodon, Calipus, spermophilus, peragnathus, eucaster, depoides, hypologus, Telpane, Sorex, Myelis, Laceurus, I. P. Camelis, Cossorix, Neo-Hiparion, Nanopus, Prostinops, and Tileosaurus. While reptiles included alligators in unidentified crocodile, rattlesnakes, vipers, boas, ratsnakes, king snakes, mud and box turtles, plus frogs and toads. Other carnivores were also abundant being represented by Agriotherium, Barbaropheles, amphicirotus,

foxes, bear dogs, and even other Borofaginé, like the Paratomarchus, Ischirocyan, Ilerodon, and Carpacion. Such a high level of coexisting predators has led to much interest in how they interacted with the epision. Unfortunately, however, this question is hard to answer. as direct evidence of interactions have never been found. Although, because of its size, most predators would have likely avoided it, and possibly even surrendered carcasses, as only the agroetherium and Barbara Ophelis were equal or larger in size. And it's demonstrated by its immense time of existence that I had little to fear.

As from 20 to just 5 million years ago, the epision could be found in fossil records. This time span of 15 million years is extremely impressive, and further showcases the efficiency of the epision's build. And yet, this giant dog still disappeared. Paleontologists are not yet sure on why it disappeared, but for a long time, the popular idea was that the arrival of giant cats in North America ultimately spelled the end for the epision. Yet, the problem with this idea is that many of the cats that would have rivaled it in size only showed up after the epasion had gone extinct, like the Smilodon, which only appears in the fossil records 2.5 million years ago. This has led to the newer, more supported idea that it was actually

climate change that did the epision in, as a drop in global temperatures and an increase in aridity started to take place right around its disappearance, likely contributing to a major shift in the predominant biomes in North America, and ultimately, leading to the episions final demand. Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere

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