Humble Origins: Hyenas likely descended from small, arboreal creatures that resemble modern-day civets. A civet is a long, slender, cat-like animal with an elongated muzzle.
The Giant Hyena: The largest hyena species that ever lived, the giant hyena, was about the size of a lion and could crush elephant bones.
Smart as a Monkey?: Hyenas are remarkably intelligent, perhaps rivaling monkeys. Their societies are structured similar to those of baboons, macaques and vervet monkeys, and they socialize and cooperate in similar ways.
