What would happen if we crossed your average chocolate Labrador with a gigantic brown bear? We can’t say for sure, but we think it might look something like the Hyaendon – a vicious, carnivorous pack hunter found in the cold mountains of North America and Africa during the late Eocene period.
The Hyaenodon was the apex predator of its time, preying not only on herbivores ranging from small to very large, but also other carnivores.
Despite its name, which means “hyena tooth”, this long-extinct beast was not related to modern-day hyenas – its descendants are more likely to be of the wolf family.
In fact, Hyaenodon teeth were best suited for shearing meat from the bone, whereas a hyena’s teeth are designed to crush bones. Grizzly.
