Speothos

Speothos is a genus of canid found in Central and South America, whose only living species is the bush dog, Speothos venaticus; an extinct Pleistocene species, Speothos pacivorus, is also known from fossils and was described before the living species was discovered. Molecular data support a close relationship with the maned wolf, genus Chrysocyon, while morphological features link it to the short-eared dog, genus Atelocynus; like the dhole and African wild dog, Speothos shows hypercarnivorous modifications of its teeth, including a lower carnassial that lacks a crushing heel.