Fossil of ‘leopard-sized’ ancient predator discovered in Egypt

Scientists reveal ’fearsome' 30 million-year-old species was found in Fayoum desert

With sharp teeth and powerful jaw muscles, the Bastetodon is believed to have sat at the top of the food chain. Photo: Ahmad Morsi

Scientists have discovered a “fearsome” new species of carnivore that lived 30 million years ago, after finding a skull in the desert in Egypt.

The “leopard-sized” mammal known as Bastetodon is believed to have coexisted with hippos and early elephants in what was then a lush forest in Fayoum, Egypt. With sharp teeth and powerful jaw muscles, it would have sat at the top of the food chain in an age before the dawn of humanity.

A nearly complete skull was dug up in what is now an area of desert known for its fossils and artefacts from Ancient Egypt. Shorouq Al Ashqar, a palaeontologist who has written a study on the findings, called it “a dream” for scientists in the field.

“For days, the team meticulously excavated layers of rock dating back around 30 million years,” Ms Al Ashqar said. “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.”

Shorouq Al Ashqar said finding the Bastetodon skull - named after a cat-headed Ancient Egyptian goddess - was 'a dream' for scientists. Photo: Prof Hesham Sallam

Ms Al Ashqar said the findings, backed by Mansoura University and the American University in Cairo, marked a “significant achievement” in understanding ancient mammals. “We are eager to continue our research to unravel the intricate relationships between these ancient predators and their environments over time and across continents,” she said.

Researchers named Bastetodon after the cat-headed Ancient Egyptian goddess Bastet, a nod to the ancient mammal's “short, catlike snout and teeth”. According to researchers, Bastetodon's relatives migrated out of Africa in several waves, eventually making it to Asia, Europe, India and even to North America. It is thought their descendants who lived about 18 million years ago were some of the largest meat-eating mammals ever to have roamed the planet.

Scientists meticulously excavated layers of rock in the Egyptian desert before finding the carnivore skull. Photo: Prof Hesham Sallam

Matt Borths, a carnivore expert at Duke University in the US, said the findings show there is still more to be discovered in Egypt. He described the Fayoum desert as one of the “most important fossil areas in Africa”.

“Without it, we would know very little about the origins of African ecosystems and the evolution of African mammals like elephants, primates, and hyaenodonts,” Mr Borths said. “Paleontologists have been working in the Fayoum for over a century, but the Sallam Lab demonstrated there is more to discover in this remarkable region.”

The study, Cranial anatomy of the hypercarnivore Bastetodon syrtos gen. nov (Hyaenodonta, Hyainailourinae) and a re-evaluation of Pterodon in Africa, is published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.