Thirty million years ago, a fearsome carnivore roamed the lush forests of what is now Egypt. A recent discovery in the Fayoum Desert reveals the secrets of this little-known predator, shedding new light on the evolution of carnivorous mammals in Africa.
Location map, stratigraphic column, and reconstruction of Bastetodon syrtos.
A) Map of Egypt showing the location of the Fayoum Depression (rectangle).
B) Map of the Jebel Qatrani area showing the distribution of vertebrate fossil quarries and their ages.
C) Stratigraphic column of the Jebel Qatrani region.
D) Reconstruction of the head and neck of the new genus (Illustration by Ahmed Morsi).
Abbreviations: Fm., Formation; Mya, millions of years.
This find, made by a team of Egyptian and international paleontologists, highlights an intriguing animal:
Bastetodon syrtos. This predator, about the size of a leopard, belonged to a now-extinct group, the hyaenodonts, which dominated ecosystems long before the appearance of modern carnivores.
A fearsome carnivore in a vanished world
Bastetodon syrtos lived about 30 million years ago in a region that, although now arid, was at the time covered by a dense and humid forest. This lush environment provided a habitat rich in prey and hiding places, fostering the rise of many specialized predators. Weighing around 60 pounds (27 kg), this carnivorous mammal was distinguished by its slender silhouette and powerful musculature, adapted for stalking and attacking a variety of prey.
Its robust jaws, equipped with sharp teeth, attest to its hypercarnivorous diet. It likely preyed on medium-sized animals, such as arboreal primates, primitive hippopotamuses, ancestral elephants, and hyraxes. Its hunting mode remains hypothetical, but its morphology suggests a fast and opportunistic predator, capable of ground pursuits and possibly even ambushes. Its adaptation to this thriving ecosystem gave it a key role in regulating prey populations.
A member of the
hyaenodonts, a group of carnivores that emerged after the extinction of the dinosaurs,
Bastetodon was part of a lineage that dominated African ecosystems before spreading to Asia, Europe, and North America.
These predators reigned for millions of years, until their decline about 18 million years ago. This decline coincided with climatic upheavals and the appearance of new competitors, notably the first representatives of cats and hyenas, which eventually supplanted the
hyaenodonts in many ecosystems.
A fortuitous discovery rich in lessons
The nearly complete skull of
Bastetodon was unearthed in the Jebel Qatrani geological formation, in the heart of the Fayoum Desert. This region, once covered by vast swamps and tropical forests, is now a key site for paleontology. Rich in fossils, it gradually reveals the secrets of a vanished ecosystem, providing valuable clues about the fauna that inhabited Africa tens of millions of years ago.
The discovery of
Bastetodon is the result of the work of a team led by Shorouq Al-Ashqar, who, during meticulous excavations, spotted protruding teeth emerging from the ground. This detail led to the uncovering of an exceptionally well-preserved specimen, providing new data on the anatomy and lifestyle of the
hyaenodonts. The study of the skull reveals specific adaptations for predation, reinforcing the hypothesis of a powerful and fearsome carnivore.
Beyond the interest in
Bastetodon itself, this find has led to a reevaluation of another group of
hyaenodonts, the
Sekhmetops, discovered over 120 years ago. Recent analyses have confirmed that these predators, initially confined to Africa, migrated to other continents over time. These results highlight the importance of Fayoum in understanding the evolution of African mammals and their role in the dynamics of prehistoric ecosystems.
Article author: Cédric DEPOND