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.”
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.
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.
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The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
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- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
