Editing Aardwolf (section)

==Taxonomy==
The aardwolf is generally classified as part of the hyena family [[Hyaenidae]]. However, it was formerly placed in its own family Protelidae.{{refn|group=nb|Some sources such as Coetzee in Meester and Setzer (1977), Köhler and Ricardson (1990), and Yalden, Largen, and Koch (1980), classify the aardwolf in its own family still.<ref name=w1>{{harvnb|Nowak|2005|pp=222–223}}</ref>}} Early on, scientists felt that it was merely mimicking the [[striped hyena]], which subsequently led to the creation of Protelidae.<ref>{{harvnb|Brottman|2012|pp=28–29}}</ref> Recent studies have suggested that the aardwolf probably diverged from other hyaenids early on; how early is still unclear, as the fossil record and genetic studies disagree by 10 million years.<ref name=koe>{{harvnb|Koepfli|Jenks|Eizirik|Zahirpour|2006|p=615}}</ref>{{refn| group = nb |The fossil record shows 18–20&nbsp;mya, and genetic studies indicate roughly 10.6&nbsp;mya.<ref name=koe/>}}

The aardwolf is the only surviving species in the [[subfamily]] Protelinae. There is disagreement as to whether the species is [[Monotypic taxon|monotypic]],<ref name=Woz>{{harvnb|Wozencraft|2005|p=573}}</ref> or can be divided into [[subspecies]]. A 2021 study found the genetic differences in eastern and southern aardwolves may be pronounced enough to categorize them as species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Allio |first1=Rémi |last2=Tilak |first2=Marie-Ka |last3=Scornavacca |first3=Celine |last4=Avenant |first4=Nico L |last5=Kitchener |first5=Andrew C |last6=Corre |first6=Erwan |last7=Nabholz |first7=Benoit |last8=Delsuc |first8=Frédéric |date=2021-02-18 |editor-last=Perry |editor-first=George H |editor2-last=Perry |editor2-first=George H |title=High-quality carnivoran genomes from roadkill samples enable comparative species delineation in aardwolf and bat-eared fox |journal=eLife |volume=10 |pages=e63167 |doi=10.7554/eLife.63167 |doi-access=free |pmid=33599612 |pmc=7963486 |issn=2050-084X}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable "
|-
! Image !! Subspecies !! Distribution
|-
|[[File:Aardwolf, Proteles cristata, at Lion and Rhino Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa (47987215058).jpg|180px]]||''P. c. cristatus'' ||[[Southern Africa]]
|-
|[[File:Aardwolf, Buffalo Springs National Park, Kenya 1 (cropped).jpg|180px]]||''P. c. septentrionalis'' {{au|Rothschild, 1902}} ||[[East Africa]].<ref name=ingo/><ref name=mh33/>
|-
|}

A 2006 molecular analysis indicates it is phylogenetically the most basal of the four extant hyaenidae species.{{sfn|Koepfli|Jenks|Eizirik|Zahirpour|2006}}

{{clade |style=font-size:90%; line-height:100%;
 |label1='''[[Hyaenidae]]'''
 |1={{clade
   |label1=
   |1={{clade
     |1='''''Proteles cristatus''''' (aardwolf) [[File:The life of animals (Colored Plate 4) (proteles cristatus).jpg|60 px]]
     }}
   |2={{clade
     |1=''[[Spotted hyena|Crocuta crocuta]]'' (spotted hyena) [[File:Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) by Connor Ashbridge.png|80 px]]
     |2={{clade
        |1=''[[Striped hyena|Hyaena hyaena]]'' (striped hyena) [[File:Hyaena striata - 1818-1842 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam -(white background).jpg|70 px]]
        |2=''[[Brown hyena|Parahyaena brunnea]]'' (brown hyena) [[File:Hyaena fusca (white background).jpg|65 px]] 
        }}
     }}
 }} 
         
}}