Around 30 million years ago, Egypt was covered in dense forests where fearsome big cat-sized carnivores called Hyaenodonta roamed. These predators, known as apex predators, thrived after the extinction of dinosaurs but eventually faced their own demise.
Recently, a team of scientists exploring the desert in present-day Fayum, Egypt unearthed a new species of Hyaenodonta with exceptionally strong jaw muscles. This newfound species, named Bastetodon syrtos, is detailed in a study published on February 17 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Spotting a skull
Hyaenodonts like Bastetodon emerged long before modern carnivorous mammals like cats and dogs. With hyena-like teeth, they hunted various prey in the ancient forests of Africa. The Fayum Depression in Egypt, now a desert, provided vital insights into mammal evolution in Africa.
The transition from the warm Eocene epoch to the cooler Oligocene epoch was captured in the rock layers of Fayum, where the team made a remarkable discovery. A nearly complete skull of an ancient apex carnivore, boasting sharp teeth and powerful jaw muscles, was found and named after the ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet.
A new look at an old discovery
The new species, Bastetodon, led to a reevaluation of a group of lion-sized hyaenodonts first identified in Fayum over a century ago. This group, including the new genus Sekhmetops, was found to have originated in Africa. The goddess Bastet, associated with Sekhmet, symbolically ties these animals within the same order.
According to the team, Bastetodon and Sekhmetops eventually spread from Africa to other continents, becoming some of the largest carnivorous mammals around 18 million years ago.
The times they are a changing
Climate and tectonic shifts during the Oligocene epoch in Africa paved the way for the rise of modern carnivorous mammals, leading to the decline of specialized hyaenodonts. These apex predators eventually went extinct around 25 million years ago, marking the end of an era.
The discovery of Bastetodon sheds light on the evolution and diversity of hyaenodonts, providing valuable insights into ancient predators and their environments across continents and time periods.
