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.
ɹˈiːsənt stˈʌdiz hæv sədʒˈɛstᵻd ðætðɪ ˈɑːɹdwʊlf pɹˈɑːbəbli daɪvˈɜːdʒd fɹʌm ˈʌðɚ hˈaɪiːnˌɪdz ˈɜːli ˈɔn; hˌaʊ ˈɜːli ɪz stˈɪl ʌŋklˈɪɹ, æz ðə fˈɑːsəl ɹˈɛkɚd ænd dʒɪnˈɛɾɪk stˈʌdiz dˌɪsɐɡɹˈiː baɪ tˈɛn mˈɪliən jˈɪɹz.