中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所机构知识库

巨鬣狗(Dinocrocuta gigantea)之前曾因其特殊的乳齿特征而被排除于鬣狗科之外,而归入单独的中鬣狗科(Percrocutidae)。对一产自陕西府谷的巨鬣狗头骨后部进行了扫描和内部结构重建,详细描述了颅基部内外形态,并与其他猫形类进行了对比。巨鬣狗在颅基部显示出了鬣狗科的典型模式,支持将其置于鬣狗科之内的传统观点,而中鬣狗科的有效性则值得怀疑。巨鬣狗的颅基部还具有很多独特特征,暗示其可能是鬣狗科的一个早期旁支。

Dinocrocuta gigantea was once moved out of the Hyaenidae based on its peculiar deciduous teeth and placed in a separate family–the Percrocutidae.A D.gigantea skull from Fugu,Shaanxi Province is scanned with the internal structures of its bulla reconstructed,described in detail,and compared with other feliforms.The basicranium of D.gigantea shows a typical hyaenid pattern,which supports the traditional view that it should remain within the Hyaenidae and questions the validity of the Percrocutidae.The basicranium of D.gigantea also possesses a number of unique features,suggesting that it could be an early side-branch of the Hyaenidae.