Before The Lion There Wan Another Apex Predator in Africa

Predatory Deities Long before lions roamed Africa, another fearsome predator ruled the land. A stunning fossil found in Egypt’s Fayum Depression unveiled an apex carnivore from 30 million years ago that was roughly the size of a leopard, according to a new study. “For days, the team meticulously excavated layers of rock dating back around 30 million years,” said lead author and paleontologist Shorouq Al-Ashqar in a statement. “Just as we were about to conclude our work, a team member spotted something remarkable – a set of large teeth sticking out of the ground. His excited shout brought the team together, marking the beginning of an extraordinary discovery: a nearly complete skull of an ancient apex carnivore, a dream for any vertebrate paleontologist.” Dubbing the creature Bastetodon syrtos, Al-Ashqar and her colleague explained that it belonged to a long-extinct group of super-hunters called hyaenodonts that predated modern carnivores like lions, hyenas, and wolves. With powerful jaws and sharp teeth, the team explained that the predator sat at the top of the food chain and was hypercarnivore – meaning that it relied on meat for at least 70 percent of its diet. Its name pays tribute to Bastet, the lioness-headed Egyptian goddess of protection – though this particular beast likely offered no protection to its unfortunate prey, noted Science Alert. The discovery in the Fayum Depression – a fossil-rich region in northern Egypt that was once a lush forest teeming with life – provides a window into Africa’s ancient ecosystems. “The Fayum is one of the most important fossil areas in Africa,” co-author Matt Borths said in the same statement. “Without it, we would know very little about the origins of African ecosystems and the evolution of African mammals like elephants, primates, and hyaenodonts.” Beyond introducing a new species, the findings also helped reevaluate fossils first unearthed more than 120 years ago. The team identified a new genus, Sekhmetops, named after Sekhmet, the Egyptian lion-headed goddess of war. In 1904, these fossils were mistakenly classified alongside European hyaenodonts. The new analysis shows that Sekhmetops and Bastetodon originated in Africa before spreading across the Northern Hemisphere. However, as Earth’s climate shifted and new predators arrived in Africa, the hyaenodonts declined. “The discovery of Bastetodon is a significant achievement in understanding the diversity and evolution of hyaenodonts and their global distribution,” noted Al-Ashqar. “We are eager to continue our research to unravel the intricate relationships between these ancient predators and their environments over time and across continents.” Share this story