Although the first full account of the cave hyena was given by Georges Cuvier in 1812, skeletal fragments of the cave hyena have been described in scientific literature since the 18th century, though they were frequently misidentified.
Hoci prvý prvý opis hyeny jaskynnej patrí Cuvierovi z roku 1812, kostrové ostatky jaskynných hyen boli opísané vo vedeckej literatúre od 18. storočia, aj keď boli často chybne identifikované.