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Description
While Africa is pretty similar to how it was 2 million years ago, during the time between then and now, the continent suffered droughts that would last years or even decades, killing off many of its iconic animals; however, with this extinction, other species that used to be overlooked got the chance to diversify, taking the place of the previous megafauna.

Top Left: One animal that not only survived, but thrived during the massive droughts was the spotted hyena, its powerful jaws and digestive tract allowing it to eat everything on a meal. But not all hyenas had it easy, with males regularly being bullied by females and left with scraps if anything at all; because of this pressure, the ability to find and get to food first became invaluable for males during these times, and after many generations, they evolved into a small, but powerful sprinter, gaining a more canine-like stance, a longer tail for balance, and a better sense of smell. Together, these adaptations let them find and get to food faster than their rivals, including the still very successful spotted hyena, and get away with a good portion when they catch up.

Top Middle: While running is great for both hunting and scavenging, not all hyena descendants went in that direction, some instead invested in being able to steal and defend kills. The largest hyena to ever exist may not be as fast as its smaller relatives, but it doesn't need to be, it just needs to be fast enough to get a bite in. Using its powerful jaws, this species can easily cripple prey, letting them keep up more easily and use their sheer bulk to take them down with maw and muscular forelimbs. These aren't just good for killing prey, they can also be used to beat back scavengers or a kill owner, making them the bears of Africa.

Top Right: Descendants of the Marabou Stork have done well here, growing even bigger than before due to the drop in terrestrial predators. With this increased size, massive beak, and clawed feet, they're capable of taking down larger species than before and dominating most carcasses; however, they're still vulnerable to predation due to their light and fragile body.

Middle Left: Already massive animals, the descendants of the Common Eland quickly took the niche of huge browsers, becoming even bigger, growing longer legs and necks, and evolving a semi-prehensile tongue. Although horns are redundant for defense due to their size, males still have them for jousting, resulting in some truly spectacular and violent battles.

Center: Greater Kudus haven't changed much in terms of appearance; however, their previously stationary lifestyle has given way to seasonal migration due to the past droughts, forging them into masters of endurance, something which is useful for both migrations and escaping predators.

Middle Right: Banded Mongoose descendants aren't that much bigger than their ancestors, but they've put their tight-knit communities to use by being miniature pack hunters. With the addition of longer claws and bodies, they can quickly pile onto a target and move with the struggling animals, making it difficult for the entire mob to be thrown off.

Bottom Left: During the droughts, one of the most successful strategies was digging, and the descendants of Gemsboks have evolved into experts at this. With the help of long, downwards-curved horns, and shovel-shaped hooves, they avoid competition by specializing in feeding on buried food, something which is especially useful during the dry season.

Bottom Right: Descendants of African Fish Eagles are the terrors of any small animal, with these large, highly adaptable animals being found across most of Africa and Southwestern Asia, using their powerful talons and beaks to take down prey as they use thermals to soar above with a massive wingspan; Once prey is caught, escape is nearly impossible thanks to a toe that can rotate from front to back, aiding in gripping struggling animals.

Description
While Africa is pretty similar to how it was 2 million years ago, during the time between then and now, the continent suffered droughts that would last years or even decades, killing off many of its iconic animals; however, with this extinction, other species that used to be overlooked got the chance to diversify, taking the place of the previous megafauna.

Top Left: One animal that not only survived, but thrived during the massive droughts was the spotted hyena, its powerful jaws and digestive tract allowing it to eat everything on a meal. But not all hyenas had it easy, with males regularly being bullied by females and left with scraps if anything at all; because of this pressure, the ability to find and get to food first became invaluable for males during these times, and after many generations, they evolved into a small, but powerful sprinter, gaining a more canine-like stance, a longer tail for balance, and a better sense of smell. Together, these adaptations let them find and get to food faster than their rivals, including the still very successful spotted hyena, and get away with a good portion when they catch up.

Top Middle: While running is great for both hunting and scavenging, not all hyena descendants went in that direction, some instead invested in being able to steal and defend kills. The largest hyena to ever exist may not be as fast as its smaller relatives, but it doesn't need to be, it just needs to be fast enough to get a bite in. Using its powerful jaws, this species can easily cripple prey, letting them keep up more easily and use their sheer bulk to take them down with maw and muscular forelimbs. These aren't just good for killing prey, they can also be used to beat back scavengers or a kill owner, making them the bears of Africa.

Top Right: Descendants of the Marabou Stork have done well here, growing even bigger than before due to the drop in terrestrial predators. With this increased size, massive beak, and clawed feet, they're capable of taking down larger species than before and dominating most carcasses; however, they're still vulnerable to predation due to their light and fragile body.

Middle Left: Already massive animals, the descendants of the Common Eland quickly took the niche of huge browsers, becoming even bigger, growing longer legs and necks, and evolving a semi-prehensile tongue. Although horns are redundant for defense due to their size, males still have them for jousting, resulting in some truly spectacular and violent battles.

Center: Greater Kudus haven't changed much in terms of appearance; however, their previously stationary lifestyle has given way to seasonal migration due to the past droughts, forging them into masters of endurance, something which is useful for both migrations and escaping predators.

Middle Right: Banded Mongoose descendants aren't that much bigger than their ancestors, but they've put their tight-knit communities to use by being miniature pack hunters. With the addition of longer claws and bodies, they can quickly pile onto a target and move with the struggling animals, making it difficult for the entire mob to be thrown off.

Bottom Left: During the droughts, one of the most successful strategies was digging, and the descendants of Gemsboks have evolved into experts at this. With the help of long, downwards-curved horns, and shovel-shaped hooves, they avoid competition by specializing in feeding on buried food, something which is especially useful during the dry season.

Bottom Right: Descendants of African Fish Eagles are the terrors of any small animal, with these large, highly adaptable animals being found across most of Africa and Southwestern Asia, using their powerful talons and beaks to take down prey as they use thermals to soar above with a massive wingspan; Once prey is caught, escape is nearly impossible thanks to a toe that can rotate from front to back, aiding in gripping struggling animals.