Class: MAMMALIA

Order: CARNIVORA

Family: HYAENIDAE

Genus: PROTELES

Species: CRISTATA

This genus is widely believed to contain just one species of carnivore, closely related to the three 'true hyaenas'. [see I.] In turn, this species is known to have diverged into two sub-species, those that live in Southern Africa, and those of North-eastern Africa. It is part of a separate lineage than the other three members of its family, with its divergence from a common ancestor occurring some 10 million years ago. The modern genus of Proteles is a relatively recent one, as fossil evidence indicates an appearance in the Pleistocene. Recent research carried out involving aardwolf genetic material alongside that of genetic material of other carnivore species has found that the split between the two sub-species of aardwolf is somewhat more substantial than is that of multiple other carnivore lineages – so perhaps, in future, the genus will no longer be considered as monotypic.

Although the aardwolf is often described as “one of four species of hyaena”, there has arisen some debate as to whether the aardwolf is a genuine hyaena. In 1975, a hypothesis was proposed as that the aardwolf had evolved seperately from the three hyaena species, and had adapted to become a mimic of the Striped Hyaena, hence fending off predators. However, most biologists believe this to be superficial, as its stripes are more regular than the Striped Hyaena, and it is just half the size. In older descriptions, it has been put into its own family of Protelidae, though more recently this has been reverted - it is part of the Hyaenidae family once again, albeit it certainly is of a different lineage than the three other members of its family. Assuming it to be a hyaena, it is the most primitive, as well as a 'fossil taxon'. It is the only living member of its family today, though it once shared its family with many other species of protelinoid hyaenas. It is thought that most of these went extinct from competition with other carnivores, though the aardwolf avoided competition by adapting its digestive system to instead consume insects, hence taking advantage of a new niche. The classification of the aardwolf may be further amended in future – as recent research indicates that the genetic split between the two populations of aardwolf currently regarded as sub-species is significantly greater than that of several other carnivore lineages, such as red fox and bat-eared fox, both of which are considered as separate species. As such, there is potential that in future, two species of aardwolf will be recognised, as opposed to just one.