Percrocutidae
Dinocrocuta
The Percrocutidae family is an extinct line of feline predators. Originally, they were attributed to the hyenas, but they apply today as a separate family. They developed similar features as hyenas and are likely to have occupied the ecological niche of large scavenging hyenas, as the hyenas themselves still existed exclusively of small stealthy cat-like forms. The first Percrocutiden come from the middle Miocene of Europe and western Asia and belonged to the genus Percrocuta. Percrocuta already showed a tendency to enlarged premolars, but did not yet have such a massive crushing scissor bite as the later form Dinocrocuta from the late Miocene, which was suitable even very large bone to crack. The latter genus was, assuming a hyena- like body building, reconstructed weigh up to 380 kg.
Occasionally, it is recommended that Percrocutiden to combine with other genres, such as Stenoplesictis to the family of Stenoplesictidae.