Ikelohyaena

Ikelohyaena (from Greek: ἴκελος íkelos, 'like' and Latin: hyaena, 'hyena') is an extinct genus of hyaenids that lived in Southern and Eastern Africa during the Pliocene. I. abronia, the type and only known species, has been found in Lothagam, Langebaanweg, and possibly Laetoli.^[1] I. abronia was dated to approximately 5.2 million years ago.^[2]

Ikelohyaena Temporal range: Pliocene (Ruscinian) ~5.2 Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Hyaenidae
Genus:	†Ikelohyaena Werdelin & Solounias, 1991
Type species
†Ikelohyaena abronia Hendey, 1974a
Synonyms
Species synonymy I. abronia: Hyaena abronia Hendey, 1974a Hyaenictis preforfex Hendey, 1974a Ictitherium preforfex (Hendey, 1974a) Hendey, 1978 Hyaenidae incertae sedis Barry, ?1987

Ikelohyaena is regarded by some authors as a possible but highly skeptical common ancestor of the modern striped hyenas and brown hyenas^[2] or as an early species of the lineage that lead to the striped hyena. Ikelohyaena had durophagous adaptations in its dentition but was less well-adapted to durophagy than modern durophagous hyaenids such as the striped hyena.^[3] Dental microwear analysis indicates that I. abronia consumed bone less frequently than modern durophagous hyaenids.^[4]

Characteristics

I. abronia was smaller than a striped hyena.^[1][4] It had thinner forelimbs and longer hindlimbs than modern durophagous hyaenids, indicating that it may have had a more canid-like locomotion and stance.^[4] The M2 and m2 molars are retained in I. abronia rather than absent as in all extant hyaenids.^[1]

Etymology

The generic name Ikelohyaena was chosen due to the morphological similarities between Ikelohyaena and the extant Hyaena hyaena.^[1]