Fossils of A. eximia are known from across Eurasia during the Vallesian-Turolian age of the Late Miocene (around 9.6-4.9 million years ago[2]), spanning from Europe, including Spain, North Macedonia, France, Romania, Greece, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Ukraine and Bulgaria,[3] and Asia including Turkey,[4][5]Kyrgyzstan,[6] Kazkahstan, Iran, China,[3] Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.[6]
Palaeoecology
Like the modern day spotted hyena, A. eximia was an obligate carnivore.[7] The teeth display adaptations to bone cracking, making it one of the earliest hyenas to display evidence of being adapted to this activity, though the shape of the upper carnassial tooth suggests that flesh also probably formed a considerable part of its diet.[8] Its body was powerfully built. Some authors have suggested that it was likely not a fast runner, and that it was primarily a scavenger[2][8] though this has been disputed by other authors, who note its limb bones are no more robust than those of living spotted hyenas.[8] Its considerable size, which made it by a large margin the largest hyena in late Miocene Eurasia, likely made it effective both in kleptoparasitism (stealing kills from other carnivores), as well as predating on medium-large sized prey.[8] Based on the morphology of its brain cavity, it probably had a less sophisticated social system than modern bone-cracking spotted hyenas.[2]
References
^Werdelin, L.; Solounias, N. (1990). "Studies of fossil hyaenids: The genus Adcrocuta Kretzoi and the interrelationships of some hyaenid taxa". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 98 (4): 363. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1990.tb01206.x.
