斑鬣狗(Crocuta)和硕鬣狗(Pachycrocuta)的生态功能之分化
Eco-functional divergence of Crocuta and Pachycrocuta:a Huainan specimen reappraisal
摘要
Abstract
Crocuta and Pachycrocuta are widely regarded as the most prevalent and emblematic hyenas across Eurasia during Quaternary.They are easily distinguished by their distinctive carnassial teeth.However,the disparities in non-carnassial elements are less pronounced and have received minimal attention in previous studies.This has resulted in erroneous identifications when dealing with fragmented specimens,particularly in cases where carnassial teeth are poorly preserved or absent.Such misidentifications have the potential to give rise to erroneous inferences regarding the paleozoogeography and biochronology of the animals in question.The bone-cracking hyena specimens from Huainan,Anhui(Tseng et al.,2008)are re-examined and re-evaluated here through a series of morphological comparisons and data analyses(univariate,bivariate,and multivariate analyses etc.).The results provide unequivocal confirmation that the specimens from Xiliexi are not spotted hyenas,but belong to Pachycrocuta perrieri instead.Conversely,the specimen from Dadingshan is the only genuine representative of the spotted hyena,which is supposed to be a possible earliest fossil record for Crocuta ultima thus far in China.Furthermore,the disparities in dentognathic morphology between Crocuta and Pachycrocuta are systematically summarized and analyzed,with an explanation of their eco-functional significance.The present study hypothesizes that Pachycrocuta retains a certain degree of active predatory capability,attributable to the robustness of the canine and the symphysis of the jaw,among other factors.This finding indicates that Pachycrocuta exhibits a form of flexible foraging behavior,combining opportunistic scavenging and active hunting in a manner analogous to Crocuta.Finally,the dynamic evolutionary history of hyenas in East China since Pleistocene has also been broadly reconstructed.关键词
安徽淮南/更新世/重新研究/佩里硕鬣狗/河南斑鬣狗/最后斑鬣狗/形态学比较/统计分析Key words
Huainan,Anhui/Pleistocene/re-examination/Pachycrocuta perrieri/Crocuta honanensis/Crocuta ultima/morphological comparison/statistical analysis分类
生物学引用本文复制引用
刘金毅,曾志杰,金昌柱,郑龙亭,孙承凯,同号文..斑鬣狗(Crocuta)和硕鬣狗(Pachycrocuta)的生态功能之分化[J].古脊椎动物学报（中英文）,2025,63(4):277-322,46.基金项目
国家自然科学基金(批准号:40972013,41772018)和科技部国家科技基础资源调查专项(编号:2021FY200100)资助. On the occasion of the 90th birthday of Prof.Qiu Zhanxiang from IVPP,the authors hereby dedicate this article to him in recognition of his seminal contributions to paleomammalogy,with particular reference to the family Hyaenidae.The authors would also like to express their gratitude to Dr.Jiangzuo Q G of IVPP,who kindly provided photographs and measurements of the AMNH specimens for this article.The authors would like to express their profound gratitude to Prof.Dong W and another anonymous reviewer for their invaluable feedback,which significantly enhanced the manuscript.The present study was sponsored by the Science and Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program,China(Grant No.2021FY200100).The corresponding author(LJ)was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC:40972013 （批准号:40972013,41772018）
41772018)to travel abroad for the purpose of study and data collection on specimens. （）
