Parictis is the oldest known genus of the bear family Ursidae. It first appeared in North America 38 million
years ago in the late Eocene epoch. It wasn't until the Miocene,
that it appeared in Eurasia and Africa. Parictis belongs to the Amphicynodontinae subfamily. They were small creatures still having many doglike
features with skulls roughly 3 inches long. There are 8 known species in the Parictis genus: Parictis bathygenus, Parictis dakotensis
(37 million years ago), Parictis gilpini (35 million years ago), Parictis major, Parictis montanus (38-33.9 million years ago), Parictis parvus
(38-33.9 million years ago), Parictis personi (33 million years ago), and Parictis primaevus.