Epicyon haydeni

This was a Borophagine (literally, "gluttonous eater") dog, with teeth specialized for crushing bone -- eating everything. The Borophaginae were a large subfamily with many successful species. Epicyon haydeni is the largest representative known from Florida. The last representative, Osteoborus sp., became extinct in the Pliocene.

One prominent feature of these dogs was the large and crowded lower premolar four (p4) and molar one (m1 - the carnassial). Premolar three was reduced in size. This arrangement of teeth turned the p4-m1 conjunction into a crushing platform for reducing meat and bone to an appropriate size.

Notice in this example that, while all the teeth are heavily worn, the crucial p4-m1 crushing platform is destroyed. It wasn't broken as a fossil. The carnasial was worn down in life to its two roots -- you can make out the wear facets on the stubs.

We can't say how this dog died. It was not an abscess on this jaw that killed it. I like to think it was plain ole' old age -- that the king (or queen) just wore out as did his teeth.