Gansuyaena
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| Gansuyaena Temporal range: Middle Miocene to Late Miocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gansuyaena megalotis holotype skull | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Hyaenidae |
| Subfamily: | Protelinae |
| Genus: | †Gansuyaena Galiano et. al., 2021 |
| Type species | |
| †Gansuyaena megalotis Galiano et. al., 2021 | |
| Other species | |
|
†G. guerini Galiano et. al., 2021 | |
Gansuyaena is an extinct genus of small hyenas that lived through the Middle to Late Miocene. Among all known fossil hyaenids Gansuyaena was the most closely related to the extant Proteles genus which contains the aardwolf, but Gansuyaena was not a likely ancestor of Proteles. Gansuyaena may have been a dietary generalist. It likely had sharp hearing and vision.[1] Gansuyaena megalotis possibly had insectivorous adaptations, including adaptations to termite-eating.[2]
Gansuyaena megalotis
There are currently two species recognized in the Gansuyaena genus.
The type species. Gansuyaena megalotis is known by fossils from the Linxia Basin in the Gansu Province of China and specimens from Pasalar, Turkey. This species lived from the Middle to Late Miocene. In proportion to its size, Gansuyaena megalotis had a larger talonid on its first molar than Gansuyaena guerini.
Gansuyaena guerini
Gansuyaena guerini has only been found in Los Mansuetos in Spain. It lived during the Turolian of the Late Miocene. Gansuyaena guerini was larger than Gansuyaena megalotis and had larger premolars.[1]