Lycyaena fossil map
Where fossils of Lycyaena 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 | 11.63–0.774 million years ago (Tortonian to Calabrian) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Hyaenidae |
| Named by | Hensel 1863 |
| Fossil records | 18 occurrences at 8 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Spain, Moldova, Chad, Türkiye, Germany, Ukraine |
| Rock formations | txn:41020, Alfambra |
About Lycyaena
Lycyaena (‘wolf hyena’) is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore in the family Hyaenidae. 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.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Lycyaena (revision 1381073557), 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: Q15039839.
