| Werdelinus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Hyaenidae |
| Genus: | †Werdelinus Bonis et al., 2010 |
| Type species | |
| †Werdelinus africanus Bonis et al., 2010 | |
Werdelinus is an extinct genus ofhyaenid containing a single knownspecies.Werdelinus africanus is known by material from Toros-Menalla,Chad.[1] It lived during theLate Miocene and thePliocene.[1][2] Dental wear ofWerdelinus africanus indicates thatWerdelinus likely haddurophagousadaptations, including adaptations to bone-crushing.[1] Analysis of the lowerdentition ofW. africanus suggests that it was likely durophagous andcursorial.[2]
Werdelinus africanus is a large hyaenid characterized by a deepmaxilla, lowpremolars, and a large m1molar, but significantly reduced M1 and m2 molars. Its maxilla is deeper than those of most hyaenids. Itsmandible corpus is shallower than those of most modern hyaenids, including thebrown hyena, thestriped hyena, and thespotted hyena, and excluding theaardwolf. Despite being shallow its mandible corpus is robust and in life was likely very sturdy to support the probable durophagous tendencies ofW. africanus.[1]
Werdelinus from Toros-Menalla, Chad, is distinct from other fossil hyaenids known from the same area by characteristics such as its size.W. africanus is larger thanHyaenictitherium minimum (Bonis et al., 2005) andBelbus djurabensis (Bonis et al., 2010) from Toros-Menalla.W. africanus is smaller thanChasmaporthetescf. australis from Toros-Menalla. In comparison toChasmaporthetes cf. australis,W. africanus has less robust, less elongated, and lower premolars. The mandible ofW. africanus is less robust than that ofChasmaporthetes cf. australis.[1]
Thegeneric nameWerdelinus was chosen in honor of thePaleontologistLars Werdelin. Thespecific name ofWerdelinus africanus is derived fromAfrica, thecontinent where this species was discovered.[1]