Allohyaena (Mammalia : Carnivora): giant hyaenid from the Late Miocene of Hungary

The topotypic material of the giant Late Miocene hyaenid Allohyaena kadici Kretzoi is described. New data on the deciduous dentition shows unambiguous ly that A. kadici is a hyaenid and not a percrocutid as reported by some pr evious authors. A. kadici is compared to the large hyaenids Adcrocuta eximi a and Crocuta crocuta. These comparisons show that A. kadici has a mixture of primitive characters such as dp4 morphology, retention of m2, long and s lender premolars and a large protocone on P4, and derived characters such a s a preparastyle on P4, an internal root on P3 and a uniquely derived talon id structure of ml. This combination of features makes A. kadici difficult to classify, but it is considered to probably be most closely related to de rived, bone-cracking hyaenids such as Pachycrocuta and Crocuta. A. kadici i s rare in the fossil record, being found at only two sites. We suggest that the reason for this rarity is that it had a geographic and stratigraphic r ange which is poorly sampled in the Miocene fossil record of Europe. (C) 19 99 The Linnean Society of London.