We all know that the largest terrestrial carnivore on Earth today is the polar bear, with the Kodiak bear also weighing up to 1 ton.
However, the largest carnivore of the Cretaceous period was the Tyrannosaurus Rex, measuring 13 meters in length and 4 meters in height, and weighing up to 9 tons, but it is a reptile, not a mammal.
The prehistoric mammal identified by scientists as Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, meaning “the large lion from Africa” in local Swahili.
However, at the end of the Cretaceous period, the reign of the Tyrannosaurus Rex on Earth also came to an end, and mammals entered a golden age of evolutionary development.
Recently, paleontologist Matthew Borths from the National Museum of Kenya stumbled upon a specimen of a giant ancient lion, which weighed up to 1,500 kg, equivalent to the size of a hippopotamus, and they were dubbed giant meat-grinding machines.
Matthew Borths discovered a jawbone, skull, and ribs, including a massive set of teeth, in a drawer at the National Museum of Kenya.
A jawbone, skull, and ribs, including a massive set of teeth, were found in a drawer at the National Museum of Kenya. However, Matthew Borths noticed that these specimens were labeled as belonging to a Pleistocene animal, which piqued his curiosity about how such large creatures could exist during that cold period.
Based on the size and sharpness of the teeth, this animal was at the top of the food chain and could hunt large herbivores like elephants and hippopotamuses today.
Upon reviewing the records, he discovered that these fossils had been identified by a research team led by Nancy Stevens, a paleontologist at Ohio University, decades ago in Kenya. However, at that time, they were focused on searching for prehistoric primates, so the fossils were set aside, and their dating was misidentified.
In fact, the length of this species’ jawbone was larger than the skull size of modern lions.
Additionally, the research team led by Matthew Borths and Stevens examined and analyzed these fossils and found that this was a predatory mammal that lived 22 million years ago and was likely the largest terrestrial carnivore to have ever lived on our planet.
Reconstruction image of Simbakubwa kutokaafrika.
According to data from the carnivore database, researchers believe this was a giant prehistoric lion and named it Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, meaning “the large lion from Africa.”
However, this creature is not a close relative of modern lions, other big cats, or contemporary carnivorous mammals.
Simbakubwa is the earliest member of the family Hyainailouridae within the order Hyaenodonta – a group of extinct carnivorous mammals that lived in Africa.
Their jaws are much larger than those of modern adult male lions. Scientists determined that the fossil belonged to a young Simbakubwa because the teeth showed no signs of wear.
Researchers estimate their weight to be between 1,308 kg and 1,554 kg and about 2.5 meters long, much larger than today’s largest terrestrial carnivore – the polar bear, and significantly larger than modern lions. After the dinosaurs went extinct, Simbakubwa kutokaafrika experienced a golden age that lasted for 45 million years.
Large canine and molar teeth allowed them to easily tear flesh and crush the bones of other large animals.
This creature was much larger than any carnivorous animal currently living in Africa. During its time, the first apes began to walk on the ground, and many other mammal species emerged.
The fossils of this ancient lion appeared quite some time ago in western Kenya, but it was only recently that this species was officially announced. Previously, the skeleton had been mistaken for another species.
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