Lycyaena

Lycyaena
Temporal range: Late Miocene (Vallesian to Turolian)
Skull of Lycyaena
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Hyaenidae
Genus: Lycyaena
Hensel, 1863
Type species
Lycyaena dubia
Zdansky, 1924
Other species
Synonyms
Species synonymy
  • L. dubia:
    • ?Lycyaena dubia Zdansky, 1924
    • Thalassictis (Lycyaena) Solounias & De Beaumont, 1981
    • Thalassictis (Lycyaena) dubia Qiu, 1985
  • L. chaeretis:
    • Hyaena chaeretis Gaudry, 1861
    • Thalassictis chaeretis Solounias, 1981
    • Thalassictis (Lycyaena) chaeretis Solounias & De Beaumont, 1981
    • Thalassictis (Lycyaena) Solounias & De Beaumont, 1981
  • L. macrostoma:
    • Hyaena macrostoma Lydekker, 1884
    • Lycyaena ?macrostoma Kretzoi, 1938
    • Thalassictis macrostoma De Vos, Leinders & Hussain, 1987
  • L. crusafonti:
    • Lycyaena chaeretis Solounias, 1981

Lycyaena is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore in the family Hyaenidae. Lycyaena was a cursorial hunting hyaena as opposed to full-time scavenger. It has been suggested by R. F. Ewer that Lycyaena may be a possible ancestor to today's aardwolf (Proteles cristatus). Lycyaena lived in Eurasia and North Africa during the Late Miocene.