The Procyonidae family encompasses a diverse group of New World mammals including raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, and the recently discovered olinguito. These creatures are evolutionary cousins to the mustelids, the family that includes badgers and wolverines. Despite their bear-like names in languages like German, they share more DNA with weasels and otters than with the massive bears of the Arctic.
The kinkajou has one fewer premolar in each row, resulting in a total of 36 teeth compared to the standard 40 found in most other procyonids. This dental reduction is a clear indicator of their shift away from a purely carnivorous diet. The kinkajou possesses poorly developed carnassial teeth, reflecting a diet that includes fruits, nuts, and insects alongside small prey.
The Great American Interchange began approximately 7.3 million years ago during the late Miocene epoch. This event saw the emergence of Cyonasua, one of the earliest known procyonids to enter South America. Fossil evidence suggests that early procyonids were an offshoot of the canids, the family that includes dogs and wolves.
The olinguito was discovered as a distinct species in 2013. DNA sequence data revealed that the various olingos were distinct species, leading to the recognition of the olinguito as a separate entity. This small, arboreal mammal in the genus Bassaricyon has a limited range in the cloud forests of the Andes.
Extinct genera in the Procyonidae family include Broilianinae, Arctonasua, Bassaricyonoides, and Cyonasua. The Broilianinae subfamily includes species like Broiliana dehmi and Stromeriella, which have been found in the Old World before going extinct in the Pliocene. These extinct species provide valuable insights into the evolutionary processes that shaped the modern procyonids.