A skull found in the Egyptian desert comes from a never-before-seen pinnacle predator that wandered parts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula about 30 million years back, researchers state.

The skull was discovered in the Jebel Qatrani Formation, about 60 miles(100 kilometers)from Cairo. Now, researchers have actually determined it as a brand-new types, called Bastetodon syrtosin a research study released Feb. 17 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

When B. syrtos lived, the area would have been covered by a rich forest. It belongs to an extinct order of mammals referred to as hyaenodonts, which flourished from around 66 million to 5.3 million years back. It was likely a “hypercarnivore,” researchers state– a predator with a diet plan of more than 70% meat.

Related: Mystical ‘hypercarnivore’ with blade-like teeth strolled California 42 million years ago

“For days, the team meticulously excavated layers of rock dating back around 30 million years,” lead author Shorouq Al-Ashqara scientist at Mansoura University and the American University in Cairo, stated in a declaration

“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,” she stated. “His excited shout brought the team together, marking the beginning of an extraordinary discovery: a nearly complete skull of an ancient apex carnivore, a dream for any vertebrate paleontologist.”

An in-depth evaluation of the skull exposed it had a brief, cat-like snout and an effective jaw efficient in dismembering victim. Unlike much of today’s predators, which have actually specialized, flat shearing teeth, hyaenodonts like B. syrtos had several sets of blade-like teeth, showing their hypercarnivorous diet plans.