Ikelohyaena fossil map
Where fossils of Ikelohyaena have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 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 5 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 | 11.63–2.58 million years ago (Tortonian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Hyaenidae |
| Named by | Werdelin and Solunias 1991 |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 5 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa, Kenya |
| Rock formations | Varswater, Nawata, Nachukui, Magabet |
About Ikelohyaena
Ikelohyaena (from Greek: ἴκελος íkelos, 'like' and Latin: hyaena, 'hyena') is an extinct genus of hyaenids that lived in Southern and Eastern Africa during the Pliocene. I. abronia, the type and only known species, has been found in Lothagam, Langebaanweg, and possibly Laetoli. I. abronia was dated to approximately 5.2 million years ago.
Ikelohyaena is regarded by some authors as a possible but highly skeptical common ancestor of the modern striped hyenas and brown hyenas or as an early species of the lineage that lead to the striped hyena.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ikelohyaena (revision 1378628068), 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: Q21368778.
