Adcrocuta skull
Specifications
- Found:
- China
- Genus:
- Adcrocuta
- Specimen size:
- 28*19*17 cm (11.02*7.48*6.69")
- Age:
- 5,3-23 mln years
- Period:
- Neogen
Description
Adcrocuta is an extinct predator from the hyena family that lived in the savannas and woodlands of Eurasia in the Pliocene. Despite the dog-like appearance, all hyenas, including the adcrocuta, belong to the cat-like suborder and are closely related to cats, mongooses and viverras.
About 10 million years ago, the ancestors of hyenas were divided into "running" and "bone crushing". From the first group, the earthen wolf has survived to this day. Adcrocuta, like the three modern types of hyenas, belongs to the "bone - crushing". This is one of the largest representatives of the family, with a height at the withers of more than a meter and a weight of up to 90 kg.
Like modern hyenas, the adcrocuta skull is massive, shortened, with a prominent sagittal crest, to which powerful jaw muscles were attached. The postcanine teeth are large, with well-defined apices. It is assumed that the diet of Adcrocuta consisted of carrion much more than that of modern hyenas. They needed powerful molars to gnaw through the thick bones of large herbivores, including rhinos and proboscis.
The skull is in very good condition, making it an excellent specimen for the paleontological collection.
