page_title: Hyena
section_title: Genera of the Hyaenidae (extinct and recent)
hierarchical_section_title: Hyena / Genera of the Hyaenidae (extinct and recent)
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Tüpfelhyäne (Crocuta crocuta) im Abuko Nationalpark in GambiaEnglish: Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in the Abuko National Reserve in The Gambia Français&#160;: Une Hyène tachetée (Crocuta crocuta) dans la réserve nationale d'Abuko, en Gambie.
context_page_description: Hyenas or hyaenas are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae. With only four extant species, it is the fifth-smallest biological family in the Carnivora, and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems.
  Although phylogenetically closer to felines and viverrids, as part of suborder Feliformia, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canines in several elements of convergent evolution; both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their teeth rather than claws. Both eat food quickly and may store it, and their calloused feet with large, blunt, nonretractable claws are adapted for running and making sharp turns. However, hyenas' grooming, scent marking, defecation habits, mating and parental behaviour are consistent with the behaviour of other feliforms.
  Spotted hyenas may kill as many as 95% of the animals they eat, while striped hyenas are largely scavengers. Generally, hyenas are known to drive off larger predators, like lions, from their kills, despite having a reputation in popular culture for being cowardly.
context_section_description: The list follows McKenna and Bell's Classification of Mammals for prehistoric genera (1997) and Wozencraft (2005) in Wilson and Reeders Mammal Species of the World for extant genera. The percrocutids are, in contrast to McKenna and Bell's classification, not included as a subfamily into the Hyaenidae, but as the separate family Percrocutidae (though they are generally grouped as sister-taxa to hyenas). Furthermore, the living brown hyena and its closest extinct relatives are not included in the genus Pachycrocuta, but in the genus Hyaena. The Protelinae (aardwolves) are not treated as a separate subfamily, but included in the Hyaeninae.
  Family Hyaenidae
  †Tongxinictis (Middle Miocene of Asia)
  †Subfamily Ictitheriinae
  †Herpestides (Early Miocene of Africa and Eurasia)
  †Plioviverrops (including Jordanictis, Protoviverrops, Mesoviverrops; Early Miocene to Early Pliocene of Europe, Late Miocene of Asia)
  †Ictitherium (=Galeotherium; including Lepthyaena, Sinictitherium, Paraictitherium; Middle Miocene of Africa, Late Miocene to Early Pliocene of Eurasia)
  †Thalassictis (including Palhyaena, Miohyaena, Hyaenictitherium, Hyaenalopex; Middle to Late Miocene of Asia, Late Miocene of Africa and Europe)
  †Hyaenotherium (Late Miocene to Early Pliocene of Eurasia)
  †Miohyaenotherium(Late Miocene of Europe)
  †Lycyaena (Late Miocene of Eurasia)
  †Tungurictis (Middle Miocene of Africa and Eurasia)
  †Protictitherium (Middle Miocene of Africa and Asia, Middle to Late Miocene of Europe)
  Subfamily Hyaeninae
  †Palinhyaena (Late Miocene of Asia)
  †Ikelohyaena (Early Pliocene of Africa)
  Hyaena (=Euhyaena, =Parahyaena; including striped hyena, brown hyena, Pliohyaena, Pliocrocuta, Anomalopithecus) Early Pliocene (?Middle Miocene) to Recent of Africa, Late Pliocene (?Late Miocene) to Late Pleistocene of Europe, Late Pliocene to recent in Asia
  †Hyaenictis (Late Miocene of Asia?, Late Miocene of Europe, Early Pliocene (?Early Pleistocene) of Africa)
  †Leecyaena (Late Miocene and/or Early Pliocene of Asia)
  †Chasmaporthetes (=Ailuriaena; including Lycaenops, Euryboas; Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene of Eurasia, Early Pliocene to Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene of Africa, Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of North America)
  †Pachycrocuta (Pliocene and Pleistocene of Eurasia and Africa)
  †Adcrocuta (Late Miocene of Eurasia)
  Crocuta (=Crocotta; including Eucrocuta; spotted hyena and cave hyena. Late Pliocene to recent of Africa, Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene of Eurasia)
  Subfamily Protelinae
  Proteles (=Geocyon; aardwolf. Pleistocene to Recent of Africa)
caption: A spotted hyena of subfamily Hyaeninae
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