Hyainailouros fossil map
Where fossils of Hyainailouros have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 15 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 27.3–7.246 million years ago (Chattian to Tortonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Hyainailouridae |
| Named by | Stehlin 1907 |
| Fossil records | 30 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Pakistan, France, Germany, Kenya, Namibia, Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia |
| Rock formations | txn:347511, Manchar, Brackwater Molasse, Moghara, Bakate, Erageleit |
About Hyainailouros
Hyainailouros ("hyena-cat") is an extinct paraphyletic genus of hyaenodont belonging to the family Hyainailouridae that lived during the Early to Middle Miocene from 22 to 15 million years ago. This genus comprises at least three species spread across Afro-Eurasia. Currently, there’s a debate whether or not Megistotherium was synonymous to Hyainailouros or a separate genus entirely. The genus currently consists of at least 3 species, H. bugtiensis, H. sulzeri, and H. napakensis. H. sulzeri was the type species of and the largest species within the genus, weighing 500 kg (1,100 lb). On the other hand, H. napakensis was believed to have been the smallest weighing 202–271 kg (445–597 lb), the three species were some of the largest known hyaenodonts.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hyainailouros (revision 1372345291), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q16885576.
