The Amphicyonidae is an archaic carnivore family that originated in the Late Eocene and
became extinct in the Late Miocene. During the Oligocene it was a diverse family in both the
New and Old Worlds. Its species diversity was reduced in the Miocene, but it still formed a
vital part of the carnivore guilds of that period. Amphicyonid ecologies varied from omnivory
to hypercarnivory, and body masses ranged from few kilograms up to hundreds of kilograms.
Amphicyonids have been given the popular name “bear dogs” in reference to their …