Insights into cranial anatomy and craniometry of the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) with comparisons to extant hyaenids

This study demonstrates that the morphological and morphometric features of the aardwolf's skull are highly specialized and fundamentally distinct from the other three hyena species, reflecting its unique dietary niche. The powerful skulls of the spotted and brown hyenas, in contrast, correlate with their roles as apex predators and scavengers.

Authors

Shaw Badenhorst (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6651-9660)
Krzysztof O. Stegmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8048-8031)
Wojciech Borawski
Dominik Poradowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4296-3174)
Joanna Klećkowska-Nawrot
Anna Mucha
Maciej Janeczek

Institutions

University of the Witwatersrand (ZA)
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (PL)
ThyssenKrupp (Germany) (DE)

Publication Details

Journal: BMC Veterinary Research
Published: 2026-01-26
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-026-05290-5
Primary Topic: Primate Behavior and Ecology
Type: article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 0.00

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article

Insights into cranial anatomy and craniometry of the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) with comparisons to extant hyaenids

Shaw Badenhorst, Krzysztof O. Stegmann, Wojciech Borawski, Dominik Poradowski et al.

Jan 26, 2026

BMC Veterinary Research

Primate Behavior and Ecology

article

Insights into cranial anatomy and craniometry of the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) with comparisons to extant hyaenids

Shaw Badenhorst, Krzysztof O. Stegmann, Wojciech Borawski, Dominik Poradowski, Joanna Klećkowska-Nawrot, Anna Mucha, Maciej Janeczek

January 26, 2026article en

Abstract

This study demonstrates that the morphological and morphometric features of the aardwolf's skull are highly specialized and fundamentally distinct from the other three hyena species, reflecting its unique dietary niche. The powerful skulls of the spotted and brown hyenas, in contrast, correlate with their roles as apex predators and scavengers.

BMC Veterinary ResearchVol. 22(1)

University of the Witwatersrand (ZA), Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (PL), ThyssenKrupp (Germany) (DE)

Openalex Percentile: Top 82%

Primate Behavior and Ecology

DOI Open Access PDF OpenAlex

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Insights into cranial anatomy and craniometry of the aardwolf (Proteles cristata) with comparisons to extant hyaenids — Shaw Badenhorst, Krzysztof O. Stegmann, et al. · BMC Veterinary Research (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS