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key point:
- There is a lot of confusion about the origin of hyenas and the natural world.
- Some hyena species belong to one of the most structured, female-dominated societies in the animal world.
- The most astonishing physical oddities of female hyenas have made them a source of wonder to zoologists around the world.
What exactly is a hyena? Are hyenas dogs? Is it feline, canine or something else entirely? The answer to this question is a bit complicated. The hyena can be described as a “cat-like” animal, but it is truly a unique creature in its own right. Its anatomy, its vocalizations, and its highly social and structured “society” are shared by several other creatures on Earth. However, many misconceptions about them still abound. They are not wild dogs, and certainly not simple scavengers who rob graves and livestock.
Let’s start with the basics: Hyenas are a unique family within the order Carnivora. The family contains four extant species. Spotted hyenas, brown hyenas and coyotes are all native to sub-Saharan Africa. Striped hyenas are endemic to North Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Neither is endangered, exactly, but both the striped and brown hyena are threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Many more extinct species are known from the fossil record dating back millions of years.
All four animals have something in common, but the spotted hyena might be the strangest. It has changed dramatically over the past few million years, setting it apart from other closely related animals. Are hyenas dogs? Are they cats? This article will introduce some interesting facts about how hyenas are related to cats and dogs in terms of anatomy and behavior.
Are hyenas canines or felines?
We’ve already mentioned that the hyena is a “cat-like” animal, but what exactly does that mean? This essentially means that hyenas are not true cats, like tigers, leopards, and house cats, which are all members of the cat family. In contrast, hyenas belong to a separate group, more closely related to cats than to canines.
To see why it’s also important to know some basic facts about the evolutionary history of hyenas. The order Carnivora, to which hyenas belong, first began to appear about 50 to 60 million years ago. These early carnivores developed teeth specialized for tearing flesh. Based on at least partial reconstructions of the fossil record, we know some of them may have resembled modern weasels and were adapted for climbing trees.
The early carnivores soon split into separate canine and feline lineages. Both branches went their separate ways, producing new and novel forms. About 30 million years ago, the cat lineage split again into two major groups. One branch gave rise to the modern cat family. Another branch gave rise to hyenas, mongooses and civets (if civets and binturongs). By about 10 to 20 million years ago, the hyena lineage really began to form a distinct and distinct group. It was divided into at least three separate families, only one of which (the true hyenas) apparently still exists today. Changing environmental conditions over the past 10 million years eventually began to favor larger, more robust hyenas. They survived and thrived on the smaller, diminutive but endangered hyena.
Although the cats, hyenas, mongooses and civets last shared a common ancestor about 30 million years ago, they all belong to a group that taxonomists now call felines. This category is derived from the Latin term meaning animals with a cat-like form or appearance and is simply a description of their evolutionary relationship. This is not a description of them. Hyenas are no longer felines, just as felines are no longer hyenas.
What are the Similarities Between Hyenas and Felines?
The evolutionary relationship between hyenas and cats may not be obvious at first because they look very different. But actually they have some common features. One defining characteristic shared by almost all cats (feline carnivores) is the unique bone structure of the middle and inner ears. It’s a very small difference (just a matter of a bone or two), but its presence in nearly all cat-shaped animals suggests that it likely evolved early in the lineage and then passed on to all descendant species.
Another similarity between hyenas and felines is the very rough tongue, consisting of the same sharp spines or bristles, which help in dewrapping prey and also in grooming. You might find it amusing that a hyena grooms itself with its tongue in much the same way a cat does: sitting on its back with legs spread and toes pointing up.
However, apart from a few other obvious similarities, hyenas and cats are very different animals. After all, it’s been 30 million years since they last shared a common ancestor. That’s enough time for a hyena to evolve into something very different. For example, 30 million years is longer than the time that separates humans from most apes. So even though hyenas are members of the cat family, they actually look nothing like felines.
How are hyenas different from felines?
Hyenas actually differ from felines in many different ways. One of the most important differences is the group nature of their hunting strategies. While some species do enjoy foraging for leftover food, hyenas are also talented and hardworking predators. Unlike felines, they are generally unable to climb trees or ambush their prey, preferring to chase prey along the ground and tear them apart with their teeth rather than claws (claws are not retractable anyway). These teeth are actually more similar to canines than that. This may be because teeth are very useful tools in the hunting strategy of hyena groups.
Hunting strategies are also a reflection of their social structure. The basis of hyena society is the clan, which can consist of 80 members at a time, sometimes more. However, while hyenas work together to hunt their prey, life within the clan is not exactly a cooperative relationship. Whether it is between clans or within clans, there is fierce competition. Hyenas form a very strict hierarchy of dominance that dictates access to food and sex. Lower-ranking members of the clan may find themselves enjoying the last meals. If there’s any leftover, they’ll stash it in their watering hole for future meals, making sure nothing goes to waste.
Striped hyenas, brown hyenas, and coyotes have all adapted to a generally male-dominated society. It is the male who leads the clan and decides on food and mates. However, female hyenas have some interesting characteristics. They have evolved male-like genitalia and other features. It’s not entirely clear why they evolved this way, but it could be because women are typically exposed to higher levels of testosterone, giving them masculine traits, or it could be a byproduct of their highly aggressive and competitive social structure (women have to compete with males from early in their lives).
Regardless of the facts, the spotted hyena takes it to the extreme. Its society is built around a matrilineal organization in which a single female leader represents the core of the clan. She has priority access to food and sex compared to other females, who have their own hierarchy of dominance. In the clan hierarchy, men are usually lower than women. They must wait until the female’s turn to feed on the carcass before eating. The female anatomy is also completely different from any canine or feline (or possibly any mammal in general). Their bodies are 10 percent larger than men’s and have more male-like external genitalia. As you can imagine, childbirth is a particularly difficult process and one that puts the lives of many mothers at risk.
In short
So, are hyenas dogs? of course not. Summarizing everything in this article, we can safely say that hyenas are more closely related to cats than to dogs. However, this relationship is relatively distant. They shared a common ancestor with cats about 30 million years ago. This allows hyenas ample time to develop and evolve their own unique traits and traits, some of which are shared by some other animals on Earth.
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.