Predator fossil unearthed in Egypt

Scientists have identified a newly discovered species of carnivore that lived 30 million years ago, after unearthing a skull in a desert in Egypt, The National reported on February 17th.

Named Bastetodon, the “fearsome” “leopard-sized” creature, is believed to have lived alongside early elephants and hippos in what was once a dense forest in Fayoum, Egypt. 

Possessing strong jaw muscles and sharp teeth, it likely occupied the top of the food chain before the emergence of humans.

An almost whole skull was found in a desert region known for its abundance of fossils and Ancient Egyptian artefacts.

 Shorouq Al Ashqar, a palaeontologist who authored a study on the discovery, described it as “a dream” for scientists in the field.

“For days, the team meticulously excavated layers of rock dating back around 30 million years,” Al Ashqar said.

“Just as we were about to conclude our work, a team member spotted something remarkable – a set of large teeth sticking out of the ground,” Al Ashqar added.

Al Ashqar explained that the research, supported by Mansoura University and the American University in Cairo, represented a “significant achievement” in the knowledge of ancient mammals. 

“We are eager to continue our research to unravel the intricate relationships between these ancient predators and their environments over time and across continents” she said.

The name Bastetodon was inspired by the Ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet, who had the head of a cat, in reference to the animal’s “short, catlike snout and teeth.” 

Researchers have said that Bastetodon’s relatives left Africa in multiple waves, eventually reaching regions such as Asia, Europe, India, and North America. 

It is believed that some of its descendants, which lived around 18 million years ago, became among the largest carnivorous mammals to have ever existed.

Matt Borths, a specialist in carnivorous mammals from Duke University in the US, stated that this discovery highlights how much remains to be found in Egypt. Borths described the Fayoum desert as one of Africa’s “most important fossil areas.”

“Without it, we would know very little about the origins of African ecosystems and the evolution of African mammals like elephants, primates, and hyaenodonts,” Borths said.

He continued: “Paleontologists have been working in the Fayoum for over a century, but the Sallam Lab demonstrated there is more to discover in this remarkable region.”

The study, Cranial anatomy of the hypercarnivore Bastetodon syrtos gen. nov (Hyaenodonta, Hyainailourinae) and a re-evaluation of Pterodon in Africa, has been published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The National