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The hyaenid family reached its peak of spatial range and taxonomic diversity during the Late Miocene, including a very wide range of different forms that were spanning throughout the Old World. Particularly, the fossil record of the family in the Balkans and China has been extremely variable during that time. The present paper deals with cranial and postcranial hyaenid material from the Late Miocene locality of Kutschwan (Shanxi Province, China). The specimens were identified as Hyaenictitherium wongii, a widespread species with well-known occurrences throughout Eurasia during the Vallesian and the Turolian. The material presents some notable features, such as the enlarged M1, M2 and m2 that point towards a more basal form of the species. However, the statistical analysis of the variability of these characters points towards intraspecific divergence based on selective release, instead of taxonomically significant adaptive traits. The postcranial material conforms very well to the known material of H. wongii from other localities, indicating an agile cursorial hunter. This species is the only carnivoran found in Kutschwan, based on the current data.

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The limestones of the Solnhofen area in southern Germany are one of the most important fossil Lagerstätten from the entire Mesozoic era, especially famous for the exquisitely preserved vertebrates. The turtles from the Solnhofen Limestone have been always of special interest because they include some of the best-preserved specimens from the Mesozoic. Here, we describe a new turtle specimen from the Torleite Formation (Kimmeridgian) of Painten and refer it to the thalassochelydian turtle Solnhofia parsonsi based on the presence of a unique combination of characters. The far majority of morphological differences from previously published specimens can be explained by ontogeny as the new specimen represents a larger, more ossified, and presumably older individual. Additionally, the specimen from Painten is the first described specimen of S. parsonsi preserving the largely complete and articulated limbs, the preservation of which indicates that the taxon did not possess stiffened paddles present in more pelagic marine turtles and is consistent with a previously inferred nearshore marine lifestyle. Contrary to previous inferences, we argue that taphonomic preservation of digits in articulated fossil turtles from laminated deposits cannot be used alone to infer marine or freshwater habitat. Finally, the new specimen from Painten is only the second, for which detailed information on its stratigraphic position and locality of origin are known.