Editing Procyonidae (section)

==Characteristics==
Procyonids are relatively small animals, with generally slender bodies and long tails, though the common raccoon tends to be bulky. <!--No need to make this a parenthetical statement-->

Because of their general build, the Procyonidae are often popularly viewed as smaller cousins of the [[bear]] family. This is apparent in their [[German language|German]] name, ''Kleinbären'' (small bears), including the names of the species: a raccoon is called a ''Waschbär'' (washing bear, as it "washes" its food before eating), a coati is a ''Nasenbär'' (nose-bear), while a [[kinkajou]] is a ''Honigbär'' (honey-bear). [[Dutch Language|Dutch]] follows suit, calling the animals ''wasbeer'', ''neusbeer'' and ''rolstaartbeer'' (curl-tail bear) respectively. However, it is now believed that procyonids are more closely related to [[Mustelidae|mustelids]] than to bears.<ref name="Flynn-2005">{{cite journal|last1=Flynn|first1=John|last2=Finarelli|first2=John|last3=Zehr|first3=Sarah|last4=Hsu|first4=Johnny|last5=Nedbal|first5=Michael|title=Molecular Phylogeny of the Carnivora (Mammalia): Assessing the Impact of Increased Sampling on Resolving Enigmatic Relationships|journal=Systematic Biology|volume=54|issue=2|year=2005|pages=317–337 |doi=10.1080/10635150590923326|pmid=16012099 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Procyonids share common morphological characteristics including a shortened rostrum, absent alisphenoid canals, and a relatively flat mandibular fossa.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gompper |first1=Matthew E. |last2=Rega-Brodsky |first2=Christine C. |date=2016-01-06 |title=The Textbook in the Modern Mammalogy Classroom |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=217–218 |doi=10.1007/s10914-015-9319-4 |s2cid=17883651 }}</ref> Kinkajous have unique morphological characteristics consistent with their arboreally adapted locomotion, including a prehensile tail and unique femoral structure.<ref>{{cite thesis |title=The functional anatomy of prehensile and nonprehensile tails of the Platyrrhini (Primates) and Procyonidae (Carnivora) |first=Jason Michael |last=Organ |year=2007 |oclc=233832204 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tarquini |first=Juliana |date=March 2021 |title=Femoral Shape in Procyonids (Carnivora, Procyonidae): Morphofunctional Implications, Size and Phylogenetic Signal |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=159–171 |doi=10.1007/s10914-019-09491-8 |s2cid=209332127 }}</ref>

Due to their omnivorous diet, procyonids have lost some of the adaptations for flesh-eating found in their carnivorous relatives. While they do have [[carnassial]] teeth, these are poorly developed in most species, especially the raccoons. Apart from the kinkajou, procyonids have the [[dentition|dental formula]]: {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.4.2|lower=3.1.4.2}} for a total of 40&nbsp;teeth. The [[kinkajou]] has one fewer [[premolar]] in each row: {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.3.2|lower=3.1.3.2}} for a total of 36&nbsp;teeth.

Most members of Procyonidae are solitary; however, some species form groups. Coati females will form bands of 4 to 24 individuals that forage together,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gompper |first1=Matthew E. |last2=Gittleman |first2=John L. |last3=Wayne |first3=Robert K. |date=1997-04-01 |title=Genetic relatedness, coalitions and social behaviour of white-nosed coatis, Nasua narica |journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=781–797 |doi=10.1006/anbe.1996.0344 |s2cid=53170578 }}</ref> while kinkajous have been found to form social groups of two males and one female.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kays |first1=Roland W. |last2=Gittleman |first2=John L. |date=April 2001 |title=The social organization of the kinkajou Potos flavus (Procyonidae) |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=253 |issue=4 |pages=491–504 |doi=10.1017/S0952836901000450 }}</ref> Certain procyonids give birth to one offspring like ringtails, olingos, and kinkajous while raccoons and coatis give birth to litters that range in size from 2 to 6 offspring.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jirik |first=Kate |title=LibGuides: North American Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) Fact Sheet: Reproduction & Development |url=https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/ringtail/reproduction |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=ielc.libguides.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jirik |first=Kate |title=LibGuides: Kinkajou (Potos flavus) Fact Sheet: Summary |url=https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/kinkajou/summary-page |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=ielc.libguides.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Coati {{!}} San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants |url=https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/coati |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=animals.sandiegozoo.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-02-07 |title=Raccoon Nation ~ Raccoon Facts {{!}} Nature {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/raccoon-nation-raccoon-fact-sheet/7553 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=Nature |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Evolution===

Procyonid fossils once believed to belong to the genus ''[[Bassariscus]]'', which includes the modern ringtail and cacomistle, have been identified from the [[Miocene]] epoch, around 20&nbsp;million years ([[Ma (unit)|Ma]]) ago. It has been suggested that early procyonids were an offshoot of the [[Canidae|canids]] that adapted to a more omnivorous diet.<ref name="EoM">{{cite book |last=Russell |first=James |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/98 |title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |publisher=Facts on File |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-87196-871-5 |editor=Macdonald |editor-first=D. |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/98 98–99] |url-access=registration}}</ref> The recent evolution of procyonids has been centered on Central America (where their diversity is greatest);<ref name=ZooKeys/> they entered the formerly isolated South America as part of the [[Great American Interchange]],<ref name="Koepfli2007">{{cite journal |last1=Koepfli |first1=K.-P. |last2=Gompper |first2=M. E. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Ho |first4=C.-C. |last5=Linden |first5=L. |last6=Maldonado |first6=J. E. |last7=Wayne |first7=R. K. |year=2007 |title=Phylogeny of the Procyonidae (Mammalia: Carvnivora): Molecules, morphology and the Great American Interchange |url=https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/6026 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=1076–1095 |citeseerx=10.1.1.495.2618 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2006.10.003 |pmid=17174109|bibcode=2007MolPE..43.1076K |hdl=10088/6026 }}</ref> beginning about 7.3&nbsp;[[Ma (unit)|Ma]] ago in the late Miocene, with the appearance of ''[[Cyonasua]]''.<ref name="Woodburne2010">{{cite journal|last=Woodburne|first=M. O.|author-link=Michael Woodburne|title=The Great American Biotic Interchange: Dispersals, Tectonics, Climate, Sea Level and Holding Pens|journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution|volume= 17|issue=4|date= 2010-07-14|pages= 245–264|doi= 10.1007/s10914-010-9144-8|pmid=21125025|pmc=2987556}}</ref> Some fossil procyonids such as ''[[Stromeriella]]'' were also present in the Old World, before going extinct in the Pliocene.<ref>R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution</ref>

Genetic studies have shown that kinkajous are a [[sister group]] to all other extant procyonids; they split off about 22.6&nbsp;Ma ago.<ref name="EizirikMurphy2010">{{cite journal |last1=Eizirik |first1=E. |last2=Murphy |first2=W. J. |last3=Koepfli |first3=K.-P. |last4=Johnson |first4=W. E. |last5=Dragoo |first5=J. W. |last6=Wayne |first6=R. K. |last7=O'Brien |first7=S. J. |date=2010-02-04 |title=Pattern and timing of diversification of the mammalian order Carnivora inferred from multiple nuclear gene sequences |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=49–63 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.033 |pmc=7034395 |pmid=20138220|bibcode=2010MolPE..56...49E }}</ref> The clades leading to coatis and olingos on one branch, and to ringtails and raccoons on the other, separated about 17.7 Ma ago.<ref name=ZooKeys/> The divergence between olingos and coatis is estimated to have occurred about 10.2 Ma ago,<ref name=ZooKeys/> at about the same time that ringtails and raccoons parted ways.<ref name=ZooKeys/><ref name="Koepfli2007"/> The separation between coatis and mountain coatis is estimated to have occurred 7.7 Ma ago.<ref>{{cite thesis |id={{ProQuest|1999244770}} |last=Nunes Tsuchiya |first=Mirian Tieko |title=Evolutionary History of Procyonidae (Mammalia, Carnivora): Integrating Genomics, Morphology and Biogeographic Modeling |year=2017 }}</ref>