Chasmaporthetes
Encyclopedia
Chasmaporthetes, also known as Hunting or Running Hyena, is an extinct genus
of hyena
endemic to North America
, Africa
, and Asia
during the Pliocene
-Pleistocene
epochs, living from 4.9 mya—780,000 years ago, existing for approximately . The genus probably arose from Eurasian Miocene
hyenas such as Thalassictis or Lycyaena, with C. borissiaki being the oldest known representative. The species C. ossifragus was the only hyena to cross the Bering land bridge
into the Americas
, and ranged over what is now Arizona
and Mexico
during Blancan
and early Irvingtonian
Land Mammal Ages, between 5 to 1.5 million years ago.
Chasmaporthetes was one of the so called "dog-like" hyenas (of which the aardwolf
is the only survivor), a hyaenid group which, in contrast to the now more common "bone-crushing" hyenas, evolved into slender limbed cursorial hunters like modern canids.
The genus has entered the popular culture lexicon as a result of cryptozoologic
claims, having been proposed as the likely origin of the American Shunka Warakin
and the Cuitlamiztli
.
Its name means "he who saw the canyon", referring to the fact that it was the only one of its kind to cross the Bering land bridge.
. A study on the genus' premolar
intercuspid notches indicate that Chasmaporthetes was likely hypercarnivorous
rather than durophagus as its modern cousins (excluding the aardwolf
) are.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
endemic to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
during the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
-Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
epochs, living from 4.9 mya—780,000 years ago, existing for approximately . The genus probably arose from Eurasian Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
hyenas such as Thalassictis or Lycyaena, with C. borissiaki being the oldest known representative. The species C. ossifragus was the only hyena to cross the Bering land bridge
Bering land bridge
The Bering land bridge was a land bridge roughly 1,000 miles wide at its greatest extent, which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia at various times during the Pleistocene ice ages. Like most of Siberia and all of Manchuria, Beringia was not glaciated because snowfall was extremely light...
into the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, and ranged over what is now Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
during Blancan
Blancan
The Blancan North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 4,750,000 to 1,808,000 years BP, a period of .. It is usually considered to start in the early-mid Pliocene epoch and end...
and early Irvingtonian
Irvingtonian
The Irvingtonian North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology , typically set from 1,800,000 to 300,000 years BP, a period of . It is usually considered to overlap the Lower Pleistocene and Middle...
Land Mammal Ages, between 5 to 1.5 million years ago.
Chasmaporthetes was one of the so called "dog-like" hyenas (of which the aardwolf
Aardwolf
The aardwolf is a small, insectivorous mammal, native to Eastern and Southern Africa. The name means "earth wolf" in Afrikaans/Dutch. It is also called "maanhaar jackal". It is related to hyenas, but unlike its relatives, it does not hunt large prey. This unusual animal preys on insects...
is the only survivor), a hyaenid group which, in contrast to the now more common "bone-crushing" hyenas, evolved into slender limbed cursorial hunters like modern canids.
The genus has entered the popular culture lexicon as a result of cryptozoologic
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
claims, having been proposed as the likely origin of the American Shunka Warakin
Shunka Warakin
The Shunka Warakin is an animal mentioned in American folklore that is said to resemble a wolf, a hyena, or both. According to cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, shunka warak'in is an Ioway term meaning "carries off dogs." Coleman suggested that the creature was some animal unknown to modern...
and the Cuitlamiztli
Onza
The Onza is a species of wild cat considered to be a legend and one of the numerous creatures studied by cryptozoology. The term onza can also refer to the jaguarundi . It is known as a type of cryptid....
.
Taxonomy and etymology
Chasmaporthetes was named by Hay (1921). Its type is Chasmaporthetes ossifragus. It was assigned to Hyaenidae by Hay (1921), Geraads (1997) and Flynn (1998).Its name means "he who saw the canyon", referring to the fact that it was the only one of its kind to cross the Bering land bridge.
Anatomy and paleoecology
The limb bones of Chasmaporthetes were long and slender like those of cheetahs, and its cheek teeth were slender and sharp-edged like those of a cat. It is likely that Chasmaporthetes inhabited open ground and was a daytime hunter. In Europe, the species C. lunensis competed with the giant cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis, and may have preyed on the small bourbon gazelle (Gazella borbonica) and the chamois antelope (Procamptoceras brivatense). The North American C. ossifragus was similar in build to C. lunensis, but had slightly more robust jaws and teeth. It may have preyed on the giant marmot Paenemarmota, and competed with the far more numerous Borophagus diversidensBorophagus diversidens
Borophagus diversidens is an extinct species of the genus Borophagus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the early Miocene epoch through the Pliocene epoch 4.9—1.8 Ma. Borophagus dudleyi existed for approximately .-Overview:Borophagus diversidens was...
. A study on the genus' premolar
Premolar
The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or...
intercuspid notches indicate that Chasmaporthetes was likely hypercarnivorous
Hypercarnivore
A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat, with the balance consisting of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material. Some examples include the big cats, dolphins, eagles, snakes, marlin, most sharks, and such invertebrates as octopuses and sea...
rather than durophagus as its modern cousins (excluding the aardwolf
Aardwolf
The aardwolf is a small, insectivorous mammal, native to Eastern and Southern Africa. The name means "earth wolf" in Afrikaans/Dutch. It is also called "maanhaar jackal". It is related to hyenas, but unlike its relatives, it does not hunt large prey. This unusual animal preys on insects...
) are.