| Percrocuta Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Jaws and teeth of P. tobieni | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Hyaenidae |
| Subfamily: | † Percrocutinae |
| Genus: | † Percrocuta Kretzoi, 1938 |
| Type species | |
| Percrocuta carnifex [1] Pilgrim, 1913 | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
CapsatheriumKurtén, 1978 | |
Percrocuta is an extinct genus of percrocutid. It lived in Europe, Asia, and Africa, during the Miocene epoch.
With a maximum length of 1.50 m (5 ft), Percrocuta was much bigger than its modern relatives. Like the spotted hyena, it had a robust skull and powerful jaws. Similar to modern hyaenids, its hind legs were shorter than the front legs, resulting in a characteristic sloping back. [4]
Percrocuta was introduced as a genus of Hyaenidae in 1938. [1] Percrocuta's relation to the family was debated until 1985, when Percrocuta, Dinocrocuta , Belbus , and Allohyaena were accepted as the four genera of Percrocutidae. [5] More recent evidence, however, has shown that Belbus and Allohyaena at least, are not percrocutids. [6]
P. abessalomi is known only from a skull, two mandibles, and two teeth. These fossils were all collected from the Belomechetskaja, Russia area and date from the sixth Mammal Neogene (MN) zone. This species is the best known of the family Percrocutidae.[ citation needed ]P. miocenica is known from only a few mandibles, found in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey. [7] [8] These fossils are also dated to MN 6. [5]
Hyenas or hyaenas are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae. With just four extant species, it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems.
Amphicyonidae is an extinct family of terrestrial carnivorans belonging to the suborder Caniformia. They first appeared in North America in the middle Eocene, spread to Europe by the late Eocene, and further spread to Asia and Africa by the early Miocene. They had largely disappeared worldwide by the late Miocene, with the latest recorded species at the end of the Miocene in Africa. They were among the first carnivorans to evolve large body size. Amphicyonids are colloquially referred to as "bear-dogs".
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Pachycrocuta is an extinct genus of prehistoric hyenas. The largest and most well-researched species is Pachycrocuta brevirostris, colloquially known as the giant short-faced hyena as it stood about 90–100 cm (35–39 in) at the shoulder and it is estimated to have averaged 110 kg (240 lb) in weight, approaching the size of a lioness, making it the largest known hyena. Pachycrocuta first appeared during the late Miocene. By 800,000 years ago, it became locally extinct in Europe, with it surviving in East Asia until at least 500,000 years ago, and possibly later elsewhere in Asia.
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Percrocutidae is an extinct family of hyena-like feliform carnivorans endemic to Asia, Africa, and Southern Europe from the Middle Miocene through the Pliocene, existing for about 8 million years.
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Thalassictis is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore in the family Hyaenidae that lived in Asia during the Middle to Late Miocene and in Europe and North Africa during the Late Miocene.
Dinocrocuta is an extinct genus of large percrocutid. It lived in Asia, Europe and Africa during the late Miocene epoch. It had very strong jaws that were able to crush bones. It considerably exceeded the size of living hyenas.
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