''Dinocrocuta'' is an
extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of large carnivore, either considered a true
hyena
Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the sma ...
or a member of the closely related extinct family
Percrocutidae
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 .
The first percrocutids are known from the middle Miocene of E ...
. It lived in Eurasia and Africa during the late
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
epoch
In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured.
The moment of epoch is usually decided b ...
, from 11.6 to 5.3 million years ago. It had very strong jaws that were able to crush bones.
It considerably exceeded the size of living hyenas.
Taxonomy
''Dinocrocuta gigantea'' was originally erected as the species ''Hyaena gigantea'' by Schlosser in 1903
based on fragmentary remains found in drug stores in China,
and subsequently was referred to under a number of different subgenus and genus names. In 1959, the species ''Hyaena algeriensis'' was erected by
Camille Arambourg
Camille Arambourg (February 3, 1885 – November 19, 1969) was a French vertebrate paleontologist. He conducted extensive field work in North Africa. In the 1950s, he argued against the prevailing model of Neanderthals as brutish and simian.
Du ...
from remains found in North Africa. Schmidt-Kittler, 1976 created ''Dinocrocuta'' as a subgenus of ''
Percrocuta,'' placing "''H." algeriensis'' as its
type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
. Qiu et al. in 1988 raised ''Dinocrocuta'' to being a genus in its own right.
''Dinocrocuta'' is usually placed as part of the extinct family
Percrocutidae
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 .
The first percrocutids are known from the middle Miocene of E ...
, an extinct family of carnivorans considered to be closely related to true
hyenas
Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliformia, feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the Family (biology), family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the orde ...
, but which evolved their similarities to hyenas as part of parallel
convergent evolution
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last comm ...
. However some authors have proposed that percrocutids are instead true hyenas.
This is further supported by basicranial anatomy which resembles that of Hyaenidae.
Description
The largest
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
, ''D. gigantea'', is known to have reached a shoulder height of , and a total skull length of about .
In terms of weight, it was originally stated to have weighed up to . However, a later study estimated its body mass around for specimen with skull length of .
Despite this lower estimate, ''D. gigantea'' would still be larger than the hyaenini hyena ''
Pachycroctua brevirostris'', which is estimated to have may have reached , for the large individuals. The other species were smaller, but still quite large compared to hyena species alive today.
The skull of ''D. gigantea'' is proportionally larger relative to body size in comparison to living hyenas. The skull is strongly arched in the forehead region. The skull ''D. gigantea'' has massive teeth, with the
premolar
The premolars, also called premolar Tooth (human), teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the Canine tooth, canine and Molar (tooth), molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per dental terminology#Quadrant, quadrant in ...
teeth showing adaptations to crushing.
Distribution and chronology
''Dinocrocuta'' had a large range and ruled most of the
Eurasia
Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...
and some parts of Africa. ''D. gigantea'' ranged from Central China to
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, and encompassed areas in between, like
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, and
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
.
''D. algeriensis'' managed to make its way to North Africa, and ''D. senyureki'' originated in the Tibet region.
In the Hezheng basin of China, ''Dinocrocuta'' was the dominant carnivore during the early Late Miocene, from around 11 to 7 million years ago. Following its extinction, it was replaced by the smaller hyena ''
Adcrocuta
''Adcrocuta'' is an extinct genus of large hyena that lived in Africa and Eurasia during the late Miocene epoch.
Distribution and chronology
Fossils of ''A. eximia'' are known from across Eurasia during the Vallesian-Turolian age of the Late ...
'' and ''
Amphimachairodus
''Amphimachairodus'' is an extinct genus of large machairodonts. It is also a member of the tribe Homotherini within Machairodontinae and is most closely related to genera as '' Xenosmilus'', ''Homotherium'' itself, and ''Machairodus''. It inhab ...
'' becomes more abundant in the fossil record, possibly showing its dominance within its habitat.
Ecology
Predatory behavior
''Dinocrocuta'' was an exceptionally powerful predator and scavenger, capable of preying on animals much larger than itself, such as
giraffid
The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a recent common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe ...
,
rhinoceros
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
, and occasionally
proboscideans
Proboscidea (; , ) is a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Three liv ...
. Though it is currently unknown if ''Dinocrocuta'' was solitary or gregarious, it was probably a hunter of herbivores such as the tusked rhinoceros ''
Chilotherium
''Chilotherium'' is an extinct genus of rhinocerotids lived in Africa and Eurasia during the Miocene through Pliocene living for 13.7—3.4 mya, existing for approximately .. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
Description
It was a large, robust animal rea ...
''. ''Chilotherium'', despite its great size, was vulnerable to the giant feliform, particularly when a pregnant female was giving birth, or was injured or sick. A skull and jaw from a female ''Chilotherium'' bears the distinctive bite marks on the forehead from a ''Dinocrocuta'' teeth, indicating that the rhino was part of the carnivore's diet. The regrowth of bone on the rhino's injuries also indicate that the ''Dinocrocuta'' attempt at predation failed and that the rhinoceros fought off her attacker, managing to escape and heal.
Like living spotted hyenas, ''Dinocrocuta'' is thought to have been a bonecracker using its teeth in combination with its powerful jaws,
though the teeth also show adaptations to cutting flesh.
Environment
Within the Dashengou Fauna, ''D. gigantea'' coexisted with a number of large carnivorans such as
machairodonts
Machairodontinae (from Ancient Greek μάχαιρα ''machaira,'' a type of Ancient Greek sword and ὀδόντος ''odontos'' meaning tooth) is an extinct subfamily of carnivoran mammals of the cat family Felidae, representing the earliest d ...
''
Amphimachairodous hezhengensis'' and ''
Machairodus aphanistus
''Machairodus'' (from , 'knife' and 'tooth') is a genus of large machairodont or ''saber-toothed cat'' that lived in Africa and Eurasia during the Middle to Late Miocene, from 12.5 million to 8.7 million years ago. It is the animal from which ...
'', barbourofelid ''
Albanosmilus
''Albanosmilus'' is an extinct genus of the family Barbourofelidae, within the tribe Barbourofelini. The genus currently consists of two named species: ''Albanosmilus jourdani'' and ''Albanosmilus whitfordi''. ''Albanosmilus'' lived in Eurasia a ...
'', and two unnamed
agriotheriini
Agriotheriini is an extinct tribe of ailuropodine bears from the middle Neogene to early Quaternary periods, with fossils found from Eurasia, Africa, and North America.
Taxonomy
The tribe Agriotheriini consists of the three (perhaps four) ...
bears, with additional carnivorans including
mustelids
The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborder Can ...
,
skunks
Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gin ...
, and
hyenas
Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliformia, feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the Family (biology), family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the orde ...
including ''
Adcrocuta eximia''. It is believed to have been a major competitor of ''Amphimachairodous'' and likely practiced
kleptoparasitism
Kleptoparasitism (originally spelt clepto-parasitism, meaning "parasitism by theft") is a form of feeding in which one animal deliberately takes food from another. The strategy is evolutionarily stable when stealing is less costly than direct f ...
with machairodonts present. Among the carnivorans present within this fauna, ''Dinocrocuta'' was by far the a most abundant. Herbivores within this fauna include rhinoceros such as ''
Acerorhinus hezhengensis'', ''Chilotherium wimani'', and ''
Iranotherium morgani'', ''s''uid
''Chleuastochoerus'' ''stehlini'', cervid ''
Dicrocerus
''Dicrocerus'' ''elegans'' is an extinct species of deer found in France, Europe. ''Dicrocerus'' probably came from Asia, from the region where true deer are believed to have originated and evolved. It inhabited forests in the temperate belt and ...
'', bovid ''
Miotragocerus
''Miotragocerus'' is an extinct genus of bovine bovid native to Eurasia during the latter part of the Miocene epoch, from around 13 to 6 million years ago, spanning from Europe to China.
Taxonomy
The placement of ''Miotragocerus'' is disputed ...
'', giraffids
''Honanotheriumschlosseri'' and ''
Samotherium'', and "tetralophodont
gomphothere
Gomphotheres are an extinct group of proboscideans related to modern elephants. First appearing in Africa during the Oligocene, they dispersed into Eurasia and North America during the Miocene and arrived in South America during the Pleistocene a ...
" ''
Tetralophodon exoletus'', some of which would’ve been probable prey for ''Dinocrocuta''.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5278579
Miocene feliforms
Neogene animals of Asia
Neogene animals of Africa
Fossil taxa described in 1976
Prehistoric carnivoran genera