Parahyaena

Parahyaena is a genus of hyenas that contains the extant brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea). Parahyaena howelli, an early member of this genus, has been dated to approximately 4 million years ago.^[1]

Parahyaena Temporal range: 4.0–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Pliocene - Present
Brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Hyaenidae
Subfamily:	Hyaeninae
Genus:	Parahyaena Hendey, 1974
Type species
Hyaena brunnea Thunberg, 1820
Species
Parahyaena brunnea Thunberg, 1820 †Parahyaena howelli Werdelin, 2003

Taxonomy

Pérez-Claros (2024) argued that Parahyaena and Pachycrocuta were synonymous, and that Pliocrocuta perrieri and "Hyaena" prisca should be included under Pachycrocuta.^[1] A later study by Martínez-Navarro et al. (2025) regarded Parahyaena and Pliocrocuta as distinct from Pachycrocuta.^[2]

Conservation Satus

With an estimated population of 8,000 individuals, the current conservation status of the brown hyena is considered near threatened on the IUCN red list.^[3] The brown hyaena is mainly threatened by the increase of agriculture in non-protective areas throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.^[4]