Protocyon

Protocyon (from Greek for "first dog") is an extinct genus of large canid endemic to South and Central America from the Late Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene.

==Description== Protocyon was a hypercarnivore, suggested by its dental adaptations. Like many other large canids, it was most likely a pack hunter. It hunted the medium-sized grazers and browsers, and bite marks on fossils suggest that it may have hunted Glyptotherium. The find of a molar tooth found in Santa Vitória do Palmar in Brazil suggests a weight of between for this particular specimen, modest in size compared to other canids including the dire wolf. However, despite its size, isotopic analysis shows a dietary overlap with Smilodon populator, which implies it competed with the sabertooth cat for the same prey.