Dinocrocuta

Dinocrocuta
Temporal range: Middle Miocene–Late Miocene
D. giganteus skull cast, Zoologisk Museum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Percrocutidae
Genus: Dinocrocuta
Schmidt-Kittler, 1975
Species

D. gigantea
D. macrodonta

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

Restoration of D. giganteus

Its estimated weight was roughly 400 kg.[3]

References

  1. 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. 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. 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. doi:10.1007/s11434-010-3031-9.