Ictitherium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ictitherium |
||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||
Extinct (fossil)
|
||||||||||||
Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
Ictitherium is an extinct genus of hyena.
The 1,20 m (4 ft) long creature looked more like a civet than a hyena, possessing a long body with short legs. Judging from its teeth, it was an insectivore. Ictitherium was a very successful and numerous creature, often turning up in mass graves caused by floods. Possibly, this early hyena lived in packs and had a social order, much like its modern descendants.