by Magnus Johnson on March 19th, 2006

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How did foxes originate? Are they related to dogs?

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by EyePod on February 28th, 2007
Foxes are between cat and dog. Here is a pic of two i feed catfood.
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by lynnenorth on April 25th, 2006
Foxes, wolves and dogs are all part of family Canidae; see http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Canidae.html#Canidae .

However, foxes are very close to the ancestral canid form, and are recognizeably close to the ancient split between canids and felids. One of the oldest recogniseably "canid" fossils that we have is Hesperocyon gregarius, and this animal was roughly the size of a kit fox, and had feet and toes were more like foxes than any other canid, and is thought to have been able to climb well. Wolves evolved away from this ancestral form more recently, and then dogs were bred from wolves. You can see a simplified phylogenetic tree at: http://www.whozoo.org/mammals/Carnivores/canid_phylogeny.htm
And you can see the wider relationships of different carnivores at: http://www.whozoo.org/mammals/Carnivores/carnivorephylogeny.htm .

You can also find out a lot more detail about fox ancestry and evolution in the following paper: http://academic.evergreen.edu/s/stidav22/reports/Vulpes%20Phylogeny%20Report.pdf
--including very detailed phylogenetic trees on pages 10 & 11.
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by Paul Wimsett on March 20th, 2006
Like dogs, foxes are evolved wolves. And it would depend on whether you're talking about an artic fox or a fox in temperate areas.
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- Actually, it is more accurate to say wolves are evolved foxes, and arctic/temperate foxes still quite close (gen. Vulpes)
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  by lynnenorth on April 25th, 2006
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