A lion-like animal as large as a polar bear

researchers have discovered in Kenya is one of the largest carnivorous mammals ever to have lived on the earth. The lion-like animal was probably up to 1500 pounds and "may be larger than a polar bear," reported researchers led by Matthew Borths from the Ohio University in the USA.

Therefore it was the dominant carnivores in the area and could probably hunt animals, the present-day elephants and hippos resemble. It lived around 23 million years ago in Eurasia, North America and Parts of Africa and the Arab world.

The new species was baptized Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, as the scientists in the "Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology." "Simba" means the East African language widely used Swahili for "lion", "kubwa" means "large" and "kutokaafrika" "out of Africa".

teeth decades ago,

The animal has been identified, therefore, on the basis of an incomplete mandible as well as teeth and bone fragments. These have already been excavated decades ago, in the Fund Meswa point Bridge in the West of Kenya. The animal was not related to researchers information with today's big cats, but belongs to an extinct mammalian group.

Long as one had believed that the Fund belonged to a smaller species. The new investigations at the Nairobi national Museum, showed according to the researchers, but that it is a new species. The teeth and bone fragments were, therefore, probably of a young male animal. The age of the researchers to the fact that the teeth are remarkable little worn.

The scientists believe that the Size of the Tiers had to do with the environment. Changes in nature during this time led to larger herbivores could live on the earth, as the researchers explained. This could, in turn, are larger carnivores hunted. Large carnivores, such as Simbakubwa existed, therefore, for several millions of years.

(oli/sda)

Created: 18.04.2019, 08:37 PM