A nearly complete skull of a 20-million-year-old hypercarnivore, Bastetodon syrtos, has been discovered in Egypt’s Fayum Depression. The fossil, which dates back to the Oligocene Epoch, is believed to have preyed upon elephants, early hippos, and even humanity’s monkey-like ancestors.
Named after the Ancient Egyptian lion-headed goddess Bastet, B. syrtos is a member of the extinct order Hyaenodonta. Its discovery has shed light on ancient African ecosystems and the evolution of modern mammals. The fossil was found in a 15-million-year-old layer of rock, along with another Hyaenodont species, Sekhmetops.
The discovery of B. syrtos is significant because it reveals the global distribution of hyaenodonts, which were once the dominant predators on the planet. However, they eventually declined in genetic diversity and went extinct in the late Miocene era.
Experts from Mansoura University and the American University in Cairo made the find, which was published in the Journal of Invertebrate Paleontology. The team’s excitement was palpable when one of its members spotted a set of large teeth sticking out of the ground, marking the beginning of an extraordinary discovery.
Source: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a63843640/hypercarnivore-skull