Ferrucyon

Ferrucyon is an extinct genus of omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, which inhabited North America during the Pliocene, Blancan in the NALMA classification, from about 4.9 to approximately 2.6 Ma. The type species, "F. avius", was originally interpreted as a relative of the modern crab-eating fox, and described as a species belonging to the genus "Cerdocyon". Ruiz-Ramoni "et al." (2020) reinterpreted it as a vulpine canid related to North American species "Metalopex macconnelli", and to the Eurasian genus "Nyctereutes". This reinterpretation necessitated removal of ""Cerdocyon" avius" from the genus "Cerdocyon", and Ruiz-Ramoni "et al." (2020) transferred it to the separate genus "Ferrucyon".
Taxonomy.
"Cerdocyon" was named by Hamilton-Smith (1839). It was assigned to Canidae by Hamilton-Smith (1839) and Carroll (1988).
"F. avius" was about long. Fossils of the species have been found in Baja California (Refugio Formation).