Flora and fauna that originated in the Nearctic Mammals originally unique to the Nearctic include: Order Primates – the first primate/proto-primate, Purgatorius, originated in the Early Paleocene of the Nearctic. Family Canidae – dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Family Camelidae – camels and their South American relatives including the llama. Now extinct in the Nearctic Family Equidae – horses, donkeys and their relatives. Now only found in the Nearctic as feral horses. Family Tapiridae – tapirs now extinct in the Nearctic. Family Antilocapridae – last survivor of which is the pronghorn. Subfamily Tremarctinae (short-faced bears) – including the giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus). The only surviving member of the group is the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) of South America.
fLora And FAuna thAt OrIgInateD iN the NeARctiC MAmMals orIginally UNIque To the NeARCtiC InclUDe: oRdEr pRimates – the firSt Primate/proto-primate, purGaTorius, origInateD In the eaRLy palEoCene of The nearctiC. FAmiLy cANiDAe – dOgs, wOlvEs, foxEs, AnD cOyOtES. fAMily cAmElidae – caMels aNd ThEir South amERIcan relAtIVes inCluDing ThE LlaMa. now extInct IN tHe NeArctic FAMily EqUidae – horses, dOnkEys and theIR RElativES. nOw only fouNd in the nEarctIc as ferAl horsES. faMiLY tapIRiDAE – tapiRs nOw EXtInct iN ThE nearCTic. faMIly ANtILocaPridAE – lAst surviVoR oF wHiCh is The pROnGHorn. subfAmily trEmArCtinaE (short-faCed bears) – includiNg The GiAnt sHort-faced BEAr (ArctoDUs SimUs). the oNly surViving membEr of the grOuP Is the SPecTacleD beAR (TremaRctos ornaTUs) oF south aMerica.