Fossil discovery reveals oldest known saber-toothed predator

Fossil discovery reveals oldest known saber-toothed predator
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2024

A newly discovered therapsid fossil from Mallorca, Spain, has been identified as the oldest known member of a group called gorgonopsians, which are ancient relatives of mammals. This saber-toothed predator predates previously known gorgonopsians by tens of millions of years, offering key insights into the evolution of mammals.

Therapsids, the group to which mammals belong, first appeared roughly 200 million years ago, but their lineage dates back much further. Gorgonopsians, a subgroup of therapsids, are more closely related to mammals than any living species, although they have no modern descendants. The new fossil, estimated to be 270-280 million years old, significantly predates the oldest known gorgonopsians, which lived about 265 million years ago.

"This discovery makes it the most ancient gorgonopsian known," explained Josep Fortuny, senior author of the study and head of the Computational Biomechanics and Evolution of Life History group at the Institut Catala de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont in Spain.

The fossils were unearthed on Mallorca, a Mediterranean island that was part of the supercontinent Pangea during the Permian period. Researchers found an abundance of remains, including a well-preserved femur, skull fragments, vertebrae, and ribs.

"We never expected to find so many remains of an animal like this in Mallorca," said Rafel Matamales, curator at the Museu Balear de Ciencies Naturals and lead author of the study.

These fossilized bones allowed scientists to reconstruct the predator's appearance. It likely resembled a medium-sized dog, comparable to a husky in size, but lacked fur and had blade-like canine teeth.

"It's the oldest animal ever found with these long, blade-like canine teeth," noted Ken Angielczyk, a curator at the Field Museum and co-author of the paper. "These saber teeth indicate that it was likely a top predator in its ecosystem."

This discovery reshapes the understanding of therapsid evolution, highlighting an earlier origin of this lineage and offering a new perspective on the evolutionary steps leading to modern mammals.

"Before dinosaurs, ancient relatives of mammals dominated, filling diverse ecological niches," Angielczyk added. "This fossil is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how mammals evolved."

Research Report:Early-middle Permian Mediterranean gorgonopsian suggests an equatorial origin of therapsids.