A recent visit to a fossil collection in a South African quarry discovered two new species of sabertooth cats. Africa's sabertooth collection now includes 5.2 million-year-old feline fossils. Among the feline fossils, the researchers uncovered two cat species, one of which had never been found in South Africa.
The Langebaanweg 'E' Quarry, an open-cast mine on South Africa's west coast, has produced vertebrate fossils since 1965, according to Gismodo. Experts believe that the fossils were formed around 5 million years ago during the transition of the Miocene-Pliocene.
After examining the cats' skulls, jaws, teeth, and other data, Johannes Willbold of Ruhr University Bochum in Germany's research team created a sabertooth family tree. Their study, published in iScience, sheds important light on the environment of the distant past and the development of these unique creatures.
Around 6-7 million years ago, a diverse variety of long-toothed predators known as sabertooth cats inhabited Africa when hominins, including modern humans, started their development, per Phys.org.
The study's co-author and Complutense University paleontologist Alberto Valenciano said that the results imply that Langebaanweg's habitat was changing.
The existence of bigger and quicker sabertooth cats suggests that throughout the late Miocene and Pliocene epochs, the area's habitat was probably changing from a wooded environment to a grassland or dry desert-like ecosystem. The development of early hominins toward bipedalism may have been significantly influenced by this change.
Interesting Discoveries
Along with two recognized species, Adeilosmilus aff. kabir and Yoshi obscura, the scientists discovered two new species, Lokotunjailurus chinsamyae, and Dinofelis werdelini. The latter, Yoshi obscura, has the incredibly fascinating feature of distinctive circular, small, and deep skulls and short canines that are somewhat compressed transversely but not serrated.
Based on earlier studies, the scientists had expected to uncover a new Dinofelis species. Still, they were surprised when they found a new Lokotunjailurus outside of Kenya and Chad.
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The discovery of species from the Metailurine family (smaller and better suited to covered environments) and the Machairodontini family (bigger and better adapted to grasslands) in Langebaanweg implies that open grasslands and wooded habitats coexisted 5.2 million years ago, according to Cosmos.
Additionally, the resemblances between the sabertooth discovered in Langebaanweg and those in Yuanmou County, China, suggest a probable migratory path or a comparable prehistoric habitat between the two areas.
Findings Indicate Clues on Conditions in Ancient Africa
The fossil evidence from these discoveries sheds light on how the ancient ecosystem changed as Africa dried up and its forests gave way to open grasslands. The origin of early hominins was probably impacted by this environmental change, showing how evolution and the environment are intertwined.
As experts continue to uncover the secrets of South Africa's ancient history, there is a rising need for additional investigation and study of the Langebaanweg fauna to disclose more untold tales buried in these extraordinary fossils. This may be accomplished by researching the animals that formerly inhabited the area.
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