Dinocrocuta
Temporal range:
D. gigantea skull cast, Zoologisk Museum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: †Percrocutidae
Genus: †Dinocrocuta
Schmidt-Kittler, 1975
Species
  • †D. algeriensis
  • †D. gigantea
  • †D. salonicae
  • †D. senyureki

Dinocrocuta is an extinct genus of hyena-like feliform carnivores in the extinct family Percrocutidae. It lived in Asia and Africa during the Miocene epoch. It had very strong jaws that were able to crush bones.[1][2]

Description

Size

Restoration of D. gigantea

The largest species, D. gigantea, is known to have reached head-to-body length of 1.9 m (6.2 ft) for the largest individuals, with total skull lengths of 43 cm (17 in).[3] In terms of weight, it was originally stated to have weighed up to 380 kg (840 lb).[4] However, a later study estimated its body mass around 200 kg (440 lb) for specimen with skull length of 32.2 cm (12.7 in).[1] The other species were smaller in size, but still quite large compared to hyena species alive today.

Distribution

Dinocrocuta had a large range and ruled most of the Eurasia and some parts of Africa. D. gigantea ranged from Central China to Spain,[5] and encompassed areas in between, like Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece.[6][7] D. algeriensis managed to make its way to North Africa, and D. senyureki originated in the Tibet region.[8]

Ecology

Lower jaw of D. gigantea

Dinocrocuta was an exceptionally powerful predator and scavenger, capable of preying on animals much larger than itself. Though it is currently unknown if Dinocrocuta was solitary or social, it was probably an able hunter of such animals as the tusked rhinoceros Chilotherium. Chilotherium, despite its great size, was vulnerable to the giant feliform, particularly when a pregnant female was giving birth, or was injured or sick. A skull and jaw from a female Chilotherium bears the distinctive bite marks on the forehead from a Dinocrocuta's teeth, indicating that the rhino was part of the carnivore's diet. The regrowth of bone on the rhino's injuries also indicate that the Dinocrocuta's attempt at predation failed and that the rhinoceros fought off her attacker, managing to escape and heal.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 Tseng, Z. J. (2008). "Cranial function in a late Miocene Dinocrocuta gigantea (Mammalia: Carnivora) revealed by comparative finite element analysis". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 96: 51–67. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2008.01095.x.
  2. ↑ Tseng, Zhijie Jack; Binder, Wendy J. (March 2010). "Mandibular biomechanics of Crocuta crocuta, Canis lupus, and the late Miocene Dinocrocuta gigantea (Carnivora, Mammalia)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 158 (3): 683–696. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00555.x.
  3. ↑ "I am very, very impressed".
  4. ↑ Deng, Tao; Tseng, Zhijie J. (2010). "Osteological evidence for predatory behavior of the giant percrocutid (Dinocrocuta gigantea) as an active hunter". Chinese Science Bulletin. 55 (17): 1790–1794. Bibcode:2010ChSBu..55.1790D. doi:10.1007/s11434-010-3031-9. S2CID 84720997.
  5. ↑ Plinio Montoya Bello (1994). Los macromamíferos del mioceno superior del área de crevillente (Alicante) [The macromamimals of the miocene upper crevillente area (Alicante)] (PDF) (PhD) (in Spanish). University of Valencia – via core.ac.uk.
  6. ↑ Koufos, G. D. (2011). "La asociación de carnívoros miocenos de Grecia". Estudios Geológicos. 67 (2): 291. doi:10.3989/egeol.40560.190 – via ResearchGate.
  7. ↑ Zhang, Zhaoqun (2005). "New materials of Dinocrocuta (Percrocutidae, Carnivora) from Lantian, Shaanxi Province, China, and remarks on Chinese Late Miocene biochronology". Geobios. 38 (5): 685–689. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2004.03.005 – via ResearchGate.
  8. ↑ Spassov, Nikolai; Koufos, George D. (2002). "The first appearance of Dinocrocuta gigantea and Machairodus aphanistus (Mammalia, Carnivora) in the Miocene of Bulgaria". Mitteilungen der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und historische Geologie. 42: 83–101.
  9. ↑ Udurawane, Vasika. "Giant hyena versus tusked rhino". Earth Archives.
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