Chicago City Wire

The discovery of a fossil therapsid, potentially the oldest of its kind, has been announced by scientists in a new paper published in Nature Communications. This saber-toothed predator, resembling a dog, is part of the gorgonopsians group and predates previously known fossils by millions of years.

"Gorgonopsians are more closely related to mammals than they are to any other living animals," stated Ken Angielczyk from the Field Museum's Negaunee Integrative Research Center. Although these creatures are not direct ancestors of modern mammals, they share relations with species that were.

Previously, the oldest known gorgonopsians dated back approximately 265 million years. The newly discovered fossil dates between 270-280 million years ago. "It is most likely the oldest gorgonopsian on the planet," said Josep Fortuny from Spain's Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont.

The fossils were uncovered on Mallorca, an island in the Mediterranean Sea that was once part of Pangea during the era of gorgonopsians. Rafel Matamales from Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals expressed surprise at finding such a large number of bone remains, including skull fragments and a well-preserved femur.

These findings have enabled researchers to reconstruct aspects of this ancient predator's appearance and lifestyle. According to Angielczyk, it resembled a medium-sized dog but lacked fur and typical canine ears. Its distinctive saber teeth suggest it was a top predator at that time.

This discovery alters scientists' understanding of therapsid evolution and provides insights into mammalian ancestry. Angielczyk noted that before dinosaurs dominated Earth, ancient mammal relatives existed with diverse ecological roles despite looking different from today's mammals.