An extinct mammal from the Eocene and Oligocene epochs, with characteristics intermediate between dogs and bears.
From Greek 'amphi-' (both) + 'kyon' (dog), literally 'both dog,' referring to the animal's mixed characteristics between canine and ursine families.
Amphicyons were the true apex predators of early North America—larger and more powerful than early dogs—but they went extinct while dogs thrived; scientists think dogs' superior hunting strategies and social behavior outcompeted them.
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