Proteles fossil map
Where fossils of Proteles have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 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 0 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 | 3.6 million years ago to the present (Piacenzian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Hyaenidae |
| Named by | Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1824 |
| Fossil records | 18 occurrences at 5 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa |
| Rock formations | Swartkrans, txn:41020, Sterkfontein, Kromdraai |
About Proteles
Proteles is a genus of distinctive hyenas which contain the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) and its close fossil relatives. It is the only extant genus of the subfamily Protelinae.
While the oldest fossils definitely belonging to Proteles date back to the Pliocene, material from the Miocene dating to around 10 million years ago has been suggested to belong to the genus, which would significantly increase its temporal range.
It has been suggested that the Proelinae subfamily may actually be an offshoot of the "running hyenas" (such as Lycyaena) who adapted to an insectivorous diet due to increased competition from canines and felines.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Proteles (revision 1345026663), 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: Q18510844.
