Percrocuta

Percrocuta is an extinct genus of hyena-like feliform carnivores. It lived in Europe, Asia, and Africa, during the Miocene epoch.

Percrocuta
Temporal range: Middle Miocene–Late Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: †Percrocutidae
Genus: †Percrocuta
Kretzoi, 1938
Species
  • †Percrocuta abessalomi
  • †Percrocuta carnifex
  • †Percrocuta grandis
  • †Percrocuta leakeyi
  • †Percrocuta miocenica
  • †Percrocuta tobieni[1] Crusafont & Aguirre, 1971
  • †Percrocuta tungurensis
Synonyms

Capsatherium Kurtén, 1978

Characteristics

With a maximum length of 1.50 m (5 ft), Percrocuta was much bigger than its modern relatives, but smaller than a female lion. Like the spotted hyena, Percrocuta had a robust skull and powerful jaws. Similar to modern hyenids, its hind legs were shorter than the front legs, resulting in a characteristic sloping back.[2]

Classification

Percrocuta was introduced as a genus of Percrocutidae in 1938. Percrocuta's relation to the family Hyaenidae was debated until 1985, when Percrocuta, Dinocrocuta, Belbus, and Allohyaena were accepted as the four genera of Percrocutidae.[3] More recent evidence, however, has shown that Belbus and Allohyaena at least, are not percrocutids.[4]

Fossil evidence

P. abessalomi is known only from a skull, two mandibles, and two teeth. These fossils were all collected from the Belomechetskaja, Georgia area and date from the sixth mammal neogene (MN) zone. This species is the best known of the family Percrocutidae. P. miocenica is known from only a few mandibles, found in Yugoslavia and Turkey. These fossils also date from 6 MN.[3]

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References
  1. Lars Werdelin (2019). "'Middle Miocene Carnivora and Hyaenodonta from Fort Ternan, western Kenya" (PDF). Geodiversitas. 41 (6).
  2. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 221. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
  3. Raymond Louis Bernor; Volker Fahlbusch; Hans-Walter Mittmann (1996). The Evolution of Western Eurasian Neogene Mammal Faunas. Columbia University Press. pp. 261–265. ISBN 0-231-08246-0.
  4. Lars Werdelin; Björn Kürten (1999). "Allohyaena (Mammalia: Carnivora): giant hyaenid from the Late Miocene of Hungary". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 126 (3): 319–334. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1999.tb01374.x.


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