Once upon a time in Fayum, Egypt, there was a thriving forest filled with life. Today, it’s a vast desert, but 30 million years ago, it was home to many creatures, including primates, hippos, elephants, and hyraxes. However, not everything was peaceful. A fearsome predator, the size of a leopard, ruled the area. This apex carnivore had powerful jaws and sharp teeth, making it a top hunter.
Paleontologists recently uncovered a nearly complete skull of this ancient predator, which belonged to a group known as Hyaenodonta. The team, led by Shorouq Al-Ashqar from Mansoura University, named the creature Bastetodon syrtos, after the ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet, who was known for her protective nature.
During their excavation, Al-Ashqar and her team spent days digging through layers of rock that are around 30 million years old. Just as they were about to wrap up, a team member spotted something remarkable—large teeth sticking out of the ground. This discovery marked an exciting moment: they found a nearly complete skull, a thrilling find for any vertebrate paleontologist.
The Fayum Depression is a treasure trove of fossils, holding secrets from a 15 million-year span during the Paleogene period. This time was crucial for the rise of mammals. Paleontologists have been studying this area for over a century, revealing much about the ecosystem that once thrived there.
“The Fayum is one of the most significant fossil sites in Africa,” said Matt Borths, a paleontologist at Duke University. “It’s vital for understanding the beginnings of African ecosystems and the evolution of mammals like elephants and primates.”
The skull of Bastetodon is essential for understanding how these ancient creatures lived. Its teeth suggest a lifestyle similar to that of modern hypercarnivores—animals whose diets consist of over 70% meat, like big cats and crocodiles. This creature was undoubtedly a top predator in its environment.
Interestingly, this discovery helps shed light on fossils found over a century ago. Those remains belonged to lion-sized hyaenodonts from the Fayum region. When first analyzed in 1904, they were linked to European hyaenodonts. However, Al-Ashqar and her team identified them as part of a new genus called Sekhmetops, named after Sekhmet, another Egyptian goddess.
These findings show that the lineage of Bastetodon and similar hyaenodonts originated in Africa and spread to other parts of the world, such as Asia, Europe, India, and North America. Unfortunately, environmental changes eventually led to their extinction in Africa, allowing new predators to emerge.
“The discovery of Bastetodon is vital for understanding the diversity and evolution of hyaenodonts,” Al-Ashqar explained. “We look forward to exploring the relationships between these ancient predators and their ecosystems over time.” The research is detailed in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
