You’ve heard of Darwin’s finches. His foxes were way cooler

[UngulateNerd92]

• Charles Darwin used the Galapagos finches as evidence for his theory of evolution by natural selection, but he also could have cited the remarkable diversity of South America's "foxes" as evidence.

• Darwin originally documented the fox-like animals scientifically in 1834, even before he visited the Galapagos, but he did not explore far enough into South America to observe their numerous evolved forms.

• South America's foxes evolved from a single North American ancestor 3.9 to 3.5 million years ago, which migrated to South America via the Isthmus of Panama. There are now ten wildly different fox-like species today, each evolved to fit its ecological niche.

You've heard of Darwin's finches. His foxes were way cooler

 

[tetrapod]

It's an inaccurate picture as the South American canids were more diverse in North America prior to the Central American landbridge.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

It's an inaccurate picture as the South American canids were more diverse in North America prior to the Central American landbridge.

Thank you for the clarification. Are there sources to which you can recommend I research this matter further?

 

[tetrapod]

Apparently the evidence is based on molecular clock data (as in the genetic differences suggest a date prior to the land bridge connection) and fragmentary fossils. Evolutionary history of the Falklands wolf
The Incredible South American Maned Wolf — Tetrapod Zoology

 

[UngulateNerd92]

Apparently the evidence is based on molecular clock data (as in the genetic differences suggest a date prior to the land bridge connection) and fragmentary fossils. Evolutionary history of the Falklands wolf
The Incredible South American Maned Wolf — Tetrapod Zoology

Ah, very interesting. Thank you.