Borhyaena

Bor-hy-e-nah.
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Nisha Yadav

Physicist

Nisha Yadav is a dedicated physicist whose work bridges the gap between physics and paleontology. With a deep interest in the processes that preserve ancient life, she explores how physical principles govern fossilization and the preservation of extinct species.

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Name

Borhyaena ‭(‬Strong hyena‭)‬.

Phonetic

Bor-hy-e-nah.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Metatheria,‭ ‬Sparassodonta,‭ ‬Borhyaenidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

B.‭ ‬tuberata

Size

Up to‭ ‬1.5‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

South America.

Time Period

Burdigalian to Langhian of the Miocene.

Fossil representation

Many specimens.

In Depth

       Despite the name,‭ ‬Borhyaena was in no way related to hyenas,‭ ‬but was instead one of the larger predatory marsupials that roamed South America during the early/mid Miocene periods.‭ ‬As the type genus of the Borhyaenidae,‭ ‬Borhyaena represents one of the main kinds of predators active in South America until they were ultimately replaced by new predators such as the sabre-toothed Thylacosmilus and larger phorusrhacid terror birds like Phorusrhacos and Brontornis.

       Although sometimes described as bear like,‭ ‬this description is more down to the presumed heavy build of the animal.‭ ‬However many remains are incomplete which means that palaeontologists are limited to conducting a best guess by comparing individuals to more complete remains of other animals.‭ ‬A more reasonable guide is the length of Borhyaena which is estimated at up to one and a half meters long,‭ ‬something that has led to it being described as being wolf-sized.

       Borhyaena is usually depicted as being a cursorial‭ (‬ground dwelling‭) ‬predator that relied more upon ambush hunting in attacking prey.‭ ‬This behaviour has been inferred from study of the proportionately short legs that would have provided for excellent acceleration to top running speed.‭ ‬However many of the potential prey animals such as litoptern mammals like Theosodon had long legs,‭ ‬and once they got going it would have been almost impossible for Borhyaena to catch up.‭ ‬Aside from using ambush tactics,‭ ‬Borhyaena may have shown a preference towards hunting smaller litoptern like Diadiaphorus,‭ ‬which would have had less chance to escape a charging Borhyaena than larger relatives.

Further Reading

– Evolution of the Borhyaenidae, extinct South American predaceous marsupials. – University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 117:1-89. – L. G. Marshall – 1978. – Functional adaptations of the postcranial skeleton of two Miocene borhyaenoids (Mammalia, Metatheria), Borhyaena and Prothylacinus, from South America. – Palaeontology. 46 (6): 1213–1267. – C. Argot – 2003.

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