Two new species of ancient sabertooth cats identified from fossils discovered in Africa

The examination of the fossils 

The fossilized remains belonged to four different sabertooth species. Dinofelis werdelini and Lokotunjailurus chimsamyae were discovered to be wholly new species. 

According to the study, sabertooth cats of the genus Dinofelis sabertooth cats were widely spread at the time. Their fossils have been discovered in Africa, China, Europe, and North America. 

Based on fossil evidence, it was previously thought that sabertooth cats of the Lokotunjailurus genus only lived in Kenya and Chad. However, the latest findings suggest that this species may have also dominated parts of Africa between 5-7 million years ago.

After determining their geographical distribution, the authors created a simple family tree of prehistoric carnivores. 

First, the morphological characteristics of each sabertooth species were considered, such as the presence or lack of sharp teeth, jaw and skull form, and tooth anatomy. 

The resulting information was then entered into a "matrix" in the second step to assess how closely connected each sabertooth is to its evolutionary cousins.

This led to the "population composition of Langebaanweg sabertooth," implying that the genus was likely connected to other sabertooth taxa such as Machairodontini, Metailurini, and Feline. 

The ancient environment of Africa 

The research provided insight into the environmental changes in Africa throughout the Pliocene geological era, which lasted from 5.3 million to 2.6 million years.

For example, huge Machairodontini cats in Africa suggest that wide grassland settings existed at Langebaanweg at the time — as these cats were adapted to run at high speeds. 

Metailurini cats, on the other hand, show that there were also more covered ecosystems, like forests. 

The researchers concluded that Langebaanweg had a combination of forests and grassland ecosystems around 5.2 million years ago. 

“The continuous aridification throughout the Mio-Pliocene, with the spread of open environments, could be an important trigger on the bipedalism of hominids [ape-like ancient humans]. The sabertooth guild in Langebaanweg and its environmental and paleobiogeographic implications provide background for future discussion on hominid origination and evolution,” noted the study. 

Surprisingly, the "composition" of the sabertooth in Langebaanweg mirrored those found in China's Yuanmou area.

“This suggests that the ancient environment of the two regions was similar or that there was a potential migration route between the Langebaanweg and Yuanmou,” said first author Qigao Jiangzuo, a paleontologist at Peking University.

The researchers concluded that there is still much to learn and uncover about the ancient Langebaanweg fauna.

The findings of this new study have been reported in the journal iScience.