A critical review of A frican species of E ucyon ( M ammalia; C arnivora; C anidae), with a new species from the P liocene of the W oranso‐ M ille A rea, A far R egion, E thiopia

E ucyon is a paraphyletic genus of jackal‐sized canids that predated the appearance of true C anis in N orth A merica, E urasia and A frica. In this study, we describe a new species of E ucyon , E . kuta , from the W oranso‐ M ille A rea, Afar Region, Ethiopia. The new species differs from all other described Eucyon in having the distal cusps of the p4 united into a crest. It may be the youngest Eucyon known from Africa and is larger than described Eucyon from that continent. Other described African E ucyon are briefly reviewed, and we suggest that some material may be referable to foxes ( V ulpini), while other material may belong to the small bear‐dog B onisicyon illacabo ( A mphicyonidae) or a closely related taxon.