Skull of a 30-million-year-old apex predator discovered in Egypt
About 30 million years ago, parts of Egypt were covered in lush forests. Within those trees, lurked an order of fearsome big cat-sized carnivores called Hyaenodonta. These apex predators thrived after the dinosaurs went extinct, but would eventually meet their own untimely end.
Ancient Skull Unearthed in Egypt Reveals a 30-Million-Year-Old Apex Predator
Hidden beneath Egypt’s desert sands, scientists uncovered a nearly complete skull of Bastetodon, a 30-million-year-old carnivore that once ruled the ancient landscape. This leopard-sized predator, with its fearsome bite,
Bastetodon, a leopard-like apex predator, probably dined on early forms of primates, hippos, and elephants.
Cat coffins and representations of the cat-headed goddess Bastet are among the extraordinary objects that reveal felines’ critical role in ancient Egyptian religious, social, and political life.
In many ways, the stray cats of Cairo mirror Egypt’s rapidly growing human population, resilient, adaptable, and constantly maneuvering through an ever-expanding metropolis.
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