Ictitherium

Skull of Ictitherium viverrinum in the American Museum of Natural History in New York

Ictitherium is an extinct genus of hyena, which was widespread in the Miocene widely across Eurasia and Africa.

Features

Ictitherium was built slimmer than today's hyenas. His legs were graceful, the hind legs longer so that the back line did not fall as much backwards, as is typical for today's hyenas. The neck was longer, the skull less robust. Overall, the long-legged animals of a civet cat were more like ( Viverrinae / viverrinum epithet of the type species ) as a hyena. Ictitherium reached a shoulder height of 60 centimeters and a length of 1.2 meters.

The genus was completed in 1977 by Ginsburg in a separate, Ictitheriinae mentioned subfamily within the Hyaenidae and re- filed in 1982 by Kurten directly into the Hyaenidae.

Species

  • Ictitherium viverrinum ( type species )
  • Ictitherium syvalense
  • ? Ictitherium arambourgi
  • ? Ictitherium hipparionum
  • ? Ictitherium orbingyi
  • ? Ictitherium sinence
Serravallian Messinian Mya (unit) Fossil Laurasiatheria
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