Scientists have uncovered a nearly complete skull of a previously unidentified species of hyaenodonta, an ancient carnivore that once dominated the food chain. The discovery in Egypt’s Western Desert provides new insights into this extinct group of animals and their evolutionary history.
The fossil, dated to around 30 million years ago, belongs to the subfamily Hyainailourinae and is the most complete skull of its kind found in Africa. The researchers named the species Bastetodon syrtos after the ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet due to its unique shorter snout compared to other hyaenodonts.
The discovery sheds light on a pivotal moment in the evolution of carnivorous animals, when some species went extinct while new ones emerged due to environmental changes. The fossil provides a rare glimpse into the lives of these ancient predators, which would have preyed on primates, early hippos, and elephants.
Lead author Shorouq Al-Ashqar described the moment of discovery as “amazing,” as they realized the significance of the find. The researchers compared the Bastetodon skull with other hyaenodonta fossils, demonstrating that both belonged to the same group of animals that originated in Africa.
The study’s findings are significant because they provide concrete traits of the animal, such as muscle attachments and brain size, which can help scientists understand their behavior and evolutionary history. The discovery also contributes to a broader understanding of faunal turnover and how climate change, competitive pressures, and prey availability affect carnivores.
While the exact cause of the hyaenodonta’s extinction remains a mystery, this new discovery brings researchers closer to solving it. The rare complete skull allows scientists to explore complex movement patterns of predators across landscapes and gain insights into their evolution.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/17/science/hyaenodonta-fossil-discovery-bastetodon-skull/index.html