The newly discovered carnivore was larger than a polar bear and is a real nightmare fuel

New research describes the remains of a gigantic carnivore of four-legged mammals that terrorized Africa some 22 million years ago.

The name of this formidable creature is Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, which translates from Swahili means "big lion of Africa". But it was not a cat, it belonged to an extinct group of mammals called hyaenodonts, who have no connection with any species of mammalian carnivore living today. Bigger than a polar bear and with a head as big as a rhinoceros, Simbakubwa He spent about 22 million years as a leading predator in East Africa, eventually disappearing under mysterious circumstances.

Its fossilized remains were discovered in 1980 on an important site in western Kenya, called Meswa Bridge. The researchers who discovered the fossils were actually looking for traces of ancient monkeys. Deeply focused on studying the fossils in greater depth, the researchers placed the specimens, which included cheekbones, upper and lower teeth, jaw pieces, a heel bone and several claws, in an ignored drawer of Kenya's national museums. for decades.

In 2010, paleontologist Nancy Stevens of the University of Ohio was working on fossils collected at Meswa Bridge when she came across the collection in the drawer. Three years later, paleontologist Matthew Borths, now a postdoctoral fellow at the National Science Foundation at Stevens Lab of the University of Ohio, did the same, urging both to collaborate on a detailed parts investigation. fossilized. Their research was published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

"Discoveries like this highlight the importance of museums as a source of information about our planet's past," Stevens wrote in an email to Gizmodo. "Understanding large-scale patterns of how organisms respond to environmental change over time can provide insight into the fragility and resilience of ecosystems in the modern world."

The Hyaenodonts appeared in Africa about four million years after the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, about 66 million years ago. These creatures have spread to Europe, Asia and North America, occupying ecological niches currently occupied by wolves, wildcats, hyenas and weasels. Their size ranged from small creatures that looked like meerkats to huge carnivores larger than polar bears.

"Although they occupied meat-eating roles in the ecosystem, they were not closely related to modern carnivores. Not even hyenas, "Borths explained in an email to Gizmodo. "The name of" hyaenodont "simply means" hyena – like tooth "but their teeth are actually quite different from those of a hyena.Hyenas, lions and wolves only have one hyena. a pair of scissors on each side of the jaw to help cut meat, Hyaenodonts had three, it's a lot of slicing for one jaw. "

Based on the analyzed fossils, Borths and Stevens estimated that Simbakubwa measured approximately 1.2 meters (4 feet) high and 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long. This particular specimen probably weighed more than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) and could even weigh up to 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds).

"The canines were about the size of a banana and about 10 cm [3.9 inches] it was jaw-dropping to catch prey, "said Borths. "The meat that sliced ​​teeth at the back of the jaw was about the size of a palm – about as long as a smartphone was wide."

Its environment probably consisted of a forest habitat dotted with bunches of trees and some open spaces between them, Borths explained. Not quite the jungle, but not quite the meadow. Around the same time, a first monkey named Proconsul lived in the trees, while anthracotheres (relatives tall and thin hippopotamus), members of the elephant family and giant hyrax (imagine a huge groundhog) were looking for land.

"Simbakubwa probably hunted anthracotheres, elephants and hyrax by tracking them rather than chasing them over long distances, "said Borths. "The ankle of Simbakubwa indicates an animal built more for spring than for loping. "

Borths and Stevens hope to find more fossils of Simbakubwaand to better understand the dynamic environment in which she lived and eventually disappeared. This hyaenodont was alive at the beginning of an important geological and evolutionary period during which Africa, once isolated, merged with Eurasia due to tectonic movements. This resulted in a massive exchange of animals and plants.

"It's a lot of change," said Borths. "Determining the major factors that led to the extinction of hyaenodonts 9 million years ago has important implications for understanding the threats to modern carnivorous mammals such as lions and polar bears.

He added, "The Hyaenodonts were remarkably adaptable, but they eventually disappeared. With more information, we hope to help conservation biologists to conserve modern carnivore populations before they suffer the same fate as SimbakubwaThe family. "

Looking at the impressive recreation of the artist Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, maybe the extinction of this creature was not such a bad thing? Just sayin '.

[Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology]