The fossilized remains of an extinct dog discovered in Maryland are that an animal belonging to a subfamily known as "bone crushing dogs." Oddly enough, this fierce carnivore supplemented its meat diet with plants and insects.

The extinct animal called Cynarctus wangi (C. wangi) stands out because of its powerful jaws and wide teeth. It was a member of the extinct subfamily Borophaginae, more popularly known as bone-crushing dogs. Its wide teeth, however, suggest C. wangi was also a herbivore.

Like Us on Facebook

"Based on its teeth, probably only about a third of its diet would have been meat," said Steven Jasinski, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania and lead author of a published study about this animal.

"It would have supplemented that by eating plants or insects, living more like a mini-bear than like a dog."

Scientists believe C. wangi looked more like a coyote, was about the size of this animal and might have acted like one. They were probably pack hunters hunting and scavenging along the prehistoric Atlantic coast of North America.

"This new dog gives us useful insight into the ecosystem of eastern North America between 12 and 13 million years ago," said Jasinski.

C. wangi was named for Xiaoming Wang, curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and an expert on mammalian carnivores.

"Most fossils known from this time period represent marine animals, who become fossilized more easily than animals on land," said Jasinski. "It is quite rare we find fossils from land animals in this region during this time, but each one provides important information for what life was like then."

This bone crushing dog roamed North America along with the ancient pigs Desmathyus and Prosthenops; the horned artiodactyl Prosynthetoceras; an ancient elephant-like animal known as a gomphothere and perhaps the ancient horse Merychippus.

Tagsbone crushing dogs, Cynarctus wangi, C. wangi, Borophaginae, Steven Jasinski, university of pennsylvania, Xiaoming Wang