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The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, [3] is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN due to its widespread range and large numbers estimated between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals. [1]
It is still unclear whether the genus evolved in Africa or Asia, although the oldest known fossils are from Africa and dated to about 3.8 mya. [1] The earliest remains from Asia currently attributed to the genus is Crocuta honanensis from the Early Pleistocene of China dating to around 2.5-2.2 million years ago, but its relationship to the living spotted hyena is ambiguous.
Hyenas are large, powerful animals, up to 80 kg (176 lb) and represent one of the most prolific large carnivorans on the planet. The aardwolf is much smaller and is a specialised feeder, eating mainly harvester termites. Family Herpestidae (mongooses, kusimanses, and the meerkat) has 32 species. Previously, these were placed in the family ...
Other bone remains came from woolly rhinos, yaks, small mammals like marmots, birds, and even from the spotted hyena, a large carnivore that prowled the region called the Ganjia Basin.
The spotted hyena, though it also scavenges occasionally, is an active pack hunter of medium to large sized ungulates, which it catches by wearing them down in long chases and dismembering them in a canid-like manner. Spotted hyenas may kill as many as 95% of the animals they eat. [53]
Toggle Classification subsection. 1.1 Phylogenetic tree. 2 References. Toggle the table of contents. Viverroidea. 13 languages. ... Family Hyaenidae (hyenas and aardwolf)
Herpestoidea is a superfamily of mammalia carnivores which includes mongooses, [2] Malagasy carnivorans [3] and the hyenas.. Herpestoids, with the exception of the hyenas, have a cylindrical and elongated body, which allows them to get into holes to catch prey. [2]
The endocast (brain cavity) also shows differences between from that of the spotted hyena, with the living spotted hyena having a better developed front part of the brain, which may suggest differences in behaviour. [6] Evidence from cave art suggests that cave hyenas had a similar physical appearance to living spotted hyenas. [7]