Canis cedazoensis

{{Short description|Extinct species of carnivore}}

{{Speciesbox

| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Pleistocene}}

| genus = Canis

| species = cedazoensis

| authority = Mooser and Dalquest 1975O. Mooser and W. W. Dalquest. 1975. Journal of Mammalogy

| range_map = Canis cedazoensis range.png

| range_map_caption = Range of Canis cedazoensis based on fossil finds

| extinct = yes

}}

Canis cedazoensis is an extinct species of smaller canid which was endemic to North America during the Pleistocene epoch, 1.8 Ma—300,000 years ago.[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=44831 PaleoBiology Database: Canis cedazoensis]

File:Canis cedazoensis timeline.png

The morphology and dentition of C. cedazoensis suggests a jackal-like animal that was more hypercarnivorous than any current jackal. C. cedazoensis is close in size to the living golden jackal. It' appears to form an endemic clade with Canis thooides and Canis feneus, and is possibly descended from Canis lepophagus.Tedford, Richard H., Wang, Xiaoming, Taylor, Beryl E., Phylogenetic systematics of the North American fossil Caninae (Carnivora, Canidae). (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 325, p. 123 [http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5999/1/B325.pdf .PDF]Tedford, Wang abstract

C. cedazoensis would have shared its habitat with both Armbruster's wolf and the dire wolf for approximately 1.8 million years before becoming extinct. Other competitors would have been the sabretooth cats Smilodon and Homotherium.