A team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery in Egypt, uncovering a nearly complete skull of an apex predator species that lived 30 million years ago. The fossil, named Bastetodon syrtos, is part of the Hyaenodonta family and offers insight into a fearsome big-cat creature that was once at the top of the food chain.
The discovery was made in the Fayum Depression, a significant fossil deposit in Africa, by Sallam Lab scientists. The team found the nearly complete skull while digging, with one team member spotting large teeth sticking out of the ground. This marked the beginning of an extraordinary discovery that has provided researchers with a rare opportunity to study an ancient apex carnivore.
The Bastetodon was leopard-sized with a short snout, hyena-like teeth, and a dog-like body. Its existence raises new questions about the extinction of other Hyaenodonta species, which once ruled the food chain but were later wiped out themselves.
The discovery has also shed light on the global distribution of these ancient predators, suggesting that they spread from Africa to Asia, Europe, India, and North America in waves. Scientists believe that changes in climate and tectonic shifts made way for their evolution. The finding has provided a significant achievement in understanding the diversity and evolution of hyaenodonts.
The discovery is expected to unravel the intricate relationships between these ancient predators and their environments over time and across continents, providing new insights into the extinction event that wiped out these species.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/02/18/bastetodon-syrtos-egypt-video/79067961007