Brown Hyena Skull (Hyaena brunnea) Hyaenidae

Hyenas possess a powerful dentition replete with massive conical hammer-like premolars designed for crushing and splitting bone. The three species of hyena (spotted, brown and striped) belong to the family Hyaenidae. Hyenas are not related to dogs; anatomically and genetically they more closely resemble cats. The genus Hyaena has a Greek origin and refers to the bristles of a pig. Brown hyenas have a bristle-like mane similar to wild hogs. The species name brunnea is Latin and means brown.

Brown Hyena Skull
The monumental dentition of the brown hyena is designed for bone crushing; rapidly dismantling a carcass on the African savannah is the key to survival in a world of acute super predator competition for food.
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull
Brown Hyena Skull
Note the massive conical shaped premolars that work like ball peen hammers to split the heaviest bones. The huge premolars and molars coupled with extreme muscular strength allow these animals to devour bone, hooves and carcass parts that most carnivores cannot consume.
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull
Posterior View Brown Hyena Skull
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull
Discerning Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea) from Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
Mandibular molar m1 of a brown hyena has a lingual cusp as opposed to a spotted hyena mandibular molar where there is not a lingual cusp.
See next image of a spotted hyena mandibular m1.
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull
Discerning Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea) from Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
Mandibular molar m1 of a spotted hyena has no lingual cusp as opposed to a brown hyena mandibular molar where there is a lingual cusp.
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull
Discerning Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea) from Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
The presence of a maxillary molar m1 can help disinguish a brown hyena skull from that of a spotted hyena. Spotted hyenas do not have a maxillary molar.
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull
Discerning Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea) from Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
Note that the small maxillary molar m1 is missing on the skull of Crocuta. Some spotted hyenas are born with maxillary m1 but they are more vestigial than those of H brunnea and are almost always lost.
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull
Discerning Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea) from Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
Ventral view comparison of spotted and brown hyena skulls. Note that the zygomatic arches of the brown hyena skull (right) are more flared than those of the spotted hyena (left). Also, note the presence of the tiny molars of the brown hyena which are absent on the spotted hyena. The brain case is much more laterally compressed/keel shaped on H brunnea as compared to crocuta. Finally, note that the auditory bullae are round and robust on crocuta as compared to brunnea's smaller elongated oval shaped bullae. There are many subtle differences in skull anatomy amongst the two species that are easily discernible upon close comparative observation.
brown hyena male Hyaena brunnea skull

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