Dusicyon avus
| Dusicyon avus | |
|---|---|
| Artistic reconstruction | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Genus: | †Dusicyon |
| Species: | †D. avus
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Dusicyon avus (Burmeister, 1866)
| |
| Former range in amber | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Dusicyon avus is an extinct species of canid native to South America during the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. It was medium to large, about the size of a German shepherd. It was closely related to the Falkland Islands wolf (Dusicyon australis), which descended from a population of D. avus. It appears to have survived until very recently, perhaps 400 years ago.
Dusicyon avus was around the size of a coyote, and was morphologically similar to jackals, suggesting a niche similar to both.