Never-Before-Seen Skull Unveils Secrets Of A Deadly Hunter From 30 Million Years Ago

Scientists have uncovered a nearly complete skull of a new prehistoric carnivore, Bastetodon syrtos, in Egypt's Fayum Depression. Dating back 30 million years, this discovery challenges previous classifications of ancient African predators, shedding light on their evolution and the impact of climate change on their extinction before modern carnivores emerged.

Bearing sharp teeth and powerful jaw muscles, suggesting a strong bite, the newly identified 'Bastetodon' was a leopard-sized "fearsome" mammal. It would have been at the top of all carnivores and the food chain when our own monkey-like ancestors were evolving, as per a news release.

Findings, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology, detail how this ferocious creature would have likely preyed on primates, early hippos, early elephants, and hyraxes in the lush forest of Fayum, Egypt, which is now home to a desert.

#Bastetodon #SallamLab #MUVP pic.twitter.com/hAtGTlnlJL

— Hesham Sallam (@heshamsallam) February 17, 2025

Describing the discovery, palaeontologist and lead author Shorouq Al-Ashqar, from Mansoura University and the American University in Cairo, says: "For days, the team meticulously excavated layers of rock dating back around 30 million years.

#Spinosaurus skull vs. #Bastetodon skull, with @ShorouqAlashqar for scale. #SallamLab #MUVP #Egypt pic.twitter.com/yGjVseVw9G

— Hesham Sallam (@heshamsallam) February 18, 2025

"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 palaeontologist."

Bastetodon belongs to a species in an extinct group of carnivorous mammals called hyaenodonts. Hyaenodonts evolved long before modern-day carnivores such as cats, dogs, and hyenas. These predators with hyena-like teeth hunted in African ecosystems after the extinction of the dinosaurs.