Forget the savanna: prehistoric hyenas once roamed the frozen Arctic

Science · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: We usually picture hyenas patrolling sun-drenched African plains. However, newly analyzed fossils reveal a much colder history. Two fossil teeth found in Canada prove that a specialized genus of hyena once navigated the bleak, icy landscapes of the Arctic, far from the warm environments their modern relatives inhabit today.

The discovery of two fossil teeth found along the banks of the Old Crow River in the Yukon Territory provides the most northly evidence of hyenas in North America to date. These specimens belong to the extinct genus Chasmaporthetes, often referred to as the 'running hyena.' While modern hyena species are largely restricted to warmer, drier environments like the African savanna, this ancient lineage thrived in the harsh, frigid conditions of the Arctic steppe-tundra between approximately 800,000 and 1.4 million years ago.

Paleontologists believe these predators may have been uniquely adapted to the cold. Researchers suggest Chasmaporthetes might have possessed dense, shaggy fur—similar to that of mammoths or woolly rhinos—and even experienced seasonal color changes, transitioning to a paler coat in winter to aid hunting in the snow. Unlike the heavier modern species, Chasmaporthetes had longer legs, suggesting it was a faster, more efficient pursuit predator capable of chasing prey like caribou and horses, or scavenging mammoth carcasses.

This finding also clarifies a massive gap in the migratory history of the species. While hyenas originally evolved in Eurasia, evidence suggests they entered North America via the Bering land bridge, a connection between Asia and North America that emerged during periods of low sea levels. Although the continent's oldest hyena remains are approximately 5 million years old, the Yukon specimens demonstrate their ability to migrate through high-latitude Beringia to reach as far south as Mexico.

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