In Egypt, Fayum is now a barren desert, once lush forests once stood, full of life.
But this is not the case for all living things. Primates, hippos, elephants and hydroxyl groups that lived there 30 million years ago could all prey on a horrible hunter: a leopard-sized apex predator with teeth with gritted teeth and razor teeth.
We know this because paleontologists have just discovered an amazing discovery: this newly discovered HyperCarnivore's almost complete skull. It belongs to a member of the extinction order of the carnivore known as Hyaenodonta.
The team led by paleontologist Shorouq al-Ashqar of Mansoura University and the American university in Egypt provide names for the terrifying creatures Bastetodon Syrtosafter the Egyptian lioness-like goddess of protection, Bastet.
“For a few days, the team carefully excavated the history of the rock layer.”
“Just as we were about to finish the work, a team member discovered something amazing – a group of large teeth sticking out of the ground. His yelling screams united the team, and it was the beginning of an extraordinary discovery: an almost complete skull of a Ancient apex carnivores are the dream of any vertebrate paleontologist.”
Fayum DepressedWhere bones were found, a very rich and important fossil combination was represented to understand the 15 million years of history in the region, a critical period during the Paleogene period, a critical period for the rise of mammals.
Paleontologists have worked in the region for more than a century, revealing the rich ecosystem that once flourished there.
“Fayum is one of the most important fossil regions in Africa,” explained Matt Borths, a paleontologist at Duke University in the United States. “Without it, we will be about the origins of African ecosystems as well as elephants, spirits, Little is known about the development of African mammals such as tetras and hydroxyworms.”
Although all bones are important in understanding the anatomy of extinct beasts, it can be said that the skull is the most important, revealing the survival strategies of animals. skull Bastetodon Revealing the dentition consistent with Hyaeonodonta, a confident classification and insights into its lifestyle.
The animal is a high meat hand-a diet, just like cats (wild cats anyway) and crocodiles, including more than 70% of meat, the researchers say. It will occupy the highest predator position in the local food network.
But this discovery allows for something else – the conventional culture of fossils discovered 120 years ago. The remains belonged to a group of lion-sized hyenas millions of years ago. When they first analyzed it in 1904, they integrated into it with the European hyena.
Al-Ashqar and her colleagues discovered that the fossils were new fossils belonging to the genus Sekhmetops (For the ancient Egyptian lioness goddess of war, Sekhmet) originated in Africa and is different from European hybrids. Bastetodon It also originated in Africa.
From there, these animals are spread throughout the northern hemisphere, heading to Asia, Europe, India and North America. However, their dominance in Africa was limited by environmental changes that led to the eventual extinction, bringing ecological walls to other predators to make it stand out.
“Discover Bastetodon “It is a significant achievement in understanding the diversity and evolution of hyenas and their global distribution. We are eager to continue our research to reveal the time and time between these ancient predators and their environment,” Al-Ashqar said. Complex relationships across the continent.”
The study has been published in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
