Borhyaena
| Borhyaena | |
|---|---|
| B. tuberata skull | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Sparassodonta |
| Family: | †Borhyaenidae |
| Genus: | †Borhyaena Ameghino 1887 |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Borhyaena is an extinct genus of South American metatherian within borhyaenaid, a family of mammalian predators part of the now extinct order Sparassodonta. The genus lived from 21 to 15.5 million years ago from the Early to Middle Miocene.
The genus contains two species, B. macrodonta and B. tuberata. Compared to other sparassodonts, Borhyaena was found to have more adaptations towards cursoriality, however it still likely wasn’t a specialized cursorial predator as seen with wolves. It is believed that, like striped hyenas, Borhyaena searched and hunted for smaller prey without cooperation from other individuals, and other experts believed it was capable of hunting prey larger than itself.