You might associate hyenas with Africa’s sprawling savannas, but the animals were once right at home above the Arctic Circle.
Modern hyenas generally stick to Africa. (A decreasing number of one species, the striped hyena, can be found on the edges of southwestern Asia.) However, back in the day, various now-extinct species roamed much of the world. For example, fossils from the ancient hyena genus Chasmaporthetes have been found from Morocco to Mongolia to Mexico.
The Hyena That Ran With It
Chasmaporthetes, sometimes called the “running hyena,” lacked the hunched posture of modern hyenas. It more likely resembled a small, lean wolf. The animal would have been efficient at chasing game, though its bone-crushing jaws also would have come in handy for munching and crunching carrion.
