Protictitherium
| Protictitherium Temporal range: Miocene | |
|---|---|
| P. crassum from Batallones Fossil Site 1 (Madrid, Spain) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Hyaenidae |
| Subfamily: | †Ictitheriinae |
| Genus: | †Protictitherium Kretzoi, 1938 |
| Species | |
Protictitherium (gr. first striking beast) is an extinct genus of hyena that lived across Europe and Asia during the Middle and Late Miocene, it is often considered to be the first hyena since it contains some of the oldest fossils of the family. They were especially prolific in Turkey, where every species has been registered.