National Museum of Natural Science

Order Carnivora, Family Hyaenidae

Miocene (20 million years before present)

Gansu Province, China

Carnivore

Hyenas are carnivores. They have sharp teeth and strong molars. They are also clever, usually active in groups, and good runners. Although they have the ability to hunt large herbivores, they prefer to scavenge carrion and rotting flesh. They eat the remains left by other carnivores or the remains of dead animals, using their strong molars to crush bones and completely consume a carcass. Therefore, in an ecosystem they are scavengers, playing a role similar to decomposers.

Hyaena sp.