Many people mistake hyenas for being related to dogs due to their visual appearance. These animals share physical traits and behaviors, leading to a belief they belong to the canine family. Despite these resemblances, their biological classification tells a different story. This article clarifies their true place in the animal kingdom.
Hyenas: Not Canine Companions
Despite their dog-like appearance, hyenas are not members of the dog family, Canidae. Their physical characteristics often lead observers to categorize them alongside wolves, foxes, and domestic dogs. Despite superficial traits, their biological classification places them in a distinct lineage. Hyenas belong to their own unique family, separating them from both canines and felines.
The Hyaenidae Family Tree
Hyenas are classified within the family Hyaenidae. This family includes four extant species: the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), the brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), and the aardwolf (Proteles cristata). All hyenas are part of the order Carnivora, which also includes dogs and cats. However, within Carnivora, hyenas belong to the suborder Feliformia, characterized as “cat-like” carnivores. This contrasts with dogs, which are part of the suborder Caniformia, or “dog-like” carnivores.
Similarities That Deceive
Visual and behavioral resemblances between hyenas and canids often lead to confusion regarding their biological relationships. Hyenas possess upright ears and a muzzle shape similar to many dog species. Their sloping backs, with front legs appearing longer than hind legs, contribute to this dog-like impression.
Hyenas exhibit social hunting behaviors, forming groups or “clans” to pursue prey, a characteristic also seen in wild canids like wolves and African wild dogs. Both hyenas and canids are cursorial hunters, adapted for running, and use their teeth to capture prey rather than claws. They also eat food quickly, store it, and have calloused feet with blunt, non-retractable claws suited for running.
These similarities are examples of convergent evolution. Convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species develop similar traits independently due to adapting to comparable environmental pressures or ecological niches. For hyenas and canids, occupying similar roles as terrestrial predators and scavengers led to the evolution of analogous physical and behavioral characteristics, despite distinct evolutionary paths.
Distinct Evolutionary Journeys
The evolutionary history of hyenas and canids reveals their separate lineages. Both groups originated from a common ancestor within the order Carnivora, but their evolutionary paths diverged millions of years ago. Molecular and fossil evidence indicates that the suborders Feliformia (which includes hyenas, cats, and mongooses) and Caniformia (encompassing dogs, bears, and seals) separated approximately 55 million years ago during the Eocene epoch.
Hyenas evolved from a lineage closer to cats, civets, and mongooses, solidifying their place within Feliformia. Canids developed from a different branch, aligning with animals like bears and weasels. A key anatomical distinction lies in their auditory bullae, the bony capsules enclosing the middle and inner ear. Feliforms, including hyenas, have double-chambered auditory bullae, whereas caniforms typically possess single-chambered or partially divided ones. This fundamental difference, along with skeletal and genetic markers, reinforces their distant relationship. While some traits appear similar due to shared ecological roles, anatomical and genetic evidence confirms hyenas and dogs followed entirely separate evolutionary trajectories.