What is "xenocyon"

Xenocyon lycanoides is an extinct canid from the Pleistocene of Eurasia. It lived from 1.8 Ma to 126,000 years ago, existing for approximately . Its name means "strange dog with wolf form", from Xeno- meaning foreign or strange and cyon for dog. It preyed on antelope, deer, elephant calves, aurochs, baboons, wild horse and perhaps humans. It was probably the ancestor of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) and possibly the dhole (Cuon alpinus) of south-east Asia, the extinct Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous). and perhaps the extinct Javanese dogs ( Megacyon merriami, Mececyon trinilensis).

The generic assignment of X. lycaonoides is controversial. As an alternative to its placement in Xenocyon, some recent authorities have placed the species in Lycaon (with the African wild dog, Lycaon pictus) or in Canis (with wolves and jackals).

In Eurasia during the Middle Pleistocene, Canis falconeri gave rise to the hypercarnivore Xenocyon, which then gave rise to the dhole and the African hunting dog. Just before the appearance of C. dirus, North America was invaded by the genus Xenocyon that was as large as C. dirus and more hypercarnivorous. The fossil record shows them as rare and it is assumed that they could not compete with the newly derived C. dirus.