| Parahyaena | |
|---|---|
| |
| Brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Hyaenidae |
| Subfamily: | Hyaeninae |
| Genus: | Parahyaena Hendey, 1974 |
| Type species | |
| Hyaena brunnea Thunberg, 1820
| |
| Species | |
| |
Parahyaena is a genus of hyenas that contains the extant brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea). Parahyaena howelli, an early member of this genus, has been dated to approximately 4 million years ago.[1]
Taxonomy
[edit]Pérez-Claros (2024) argued that Parahyaena and Pachycrocuta were synonymous, and that Pliocrocuta perrieri and "Hyaena" prisca should be included under Pachycrocuta.[1] A later study by Martínez-Navarro et al. (2025) regarded Parahyaena and Pliocrocuta as distinct from Pachycrocuta.[2]
Conservation Satus
[edit]With an estimated population of 8,000 individuals, the current conservation status of the brown hyena is considered near threatened on the IUCN red list.[3] The brown hyaena is mainly threatened by the increase of agriculture in non-protective areas throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Pérez-Claros, Juan Antonio (2024). "Unravelling the origin of the brown hyena (Parahyena brunnea) and its evolutionary and paleoecological implications for the Pachycrocuta lineage". Palaeontologia Electronica: 27.1.a18. doi:10.26879/1372.
- ^ Martínez-Navarro, Bienvenido; Madurell-Malapeira, Joan; Bartolini-Lucenti, Saverio; Lordkipanidze, David; Rook, Lorenzo (2025). "The giant short-faced hyaena from Dmanisi: taxonomy and palaeobiology" (PDF). Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana. 64 (1): 107–131. doi:10.4435/BSPI.2025.07. ISSN 0375-7633.
- ^ IUCN (2014-10-03). Parahyaena brunnea: Wiesel, I.: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T10276A82344448 (Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2015-4.rlts.t10276a82344448.en.
- ^ Kent, Vivien T.; Hill, Russell A. (July 2013). "The importance of farmland for the conservation of the brown hyaena Parahyaena brunnea". Oryx. 47 (3): 431–440. doi:10.1017/S0030605312001007. ISSN 0030-6053.