One of the larges­t ever meat-eating mammal­s more than 20 millio­n years agoPARIS: A giant lion with enormous fangs that roamed the Kenyan savannah more than 20 million years ago was one of the largest ever meat-eating mammals, researchers said on Thursday. A team unearthed the lower jaw, teeth and other bones of a new species, Simbakubwa kutokaafrika – Swahili for “big African lion”. They calculated it would have weighed up to 1,500 kilogrammes and could have preyed upon the elephant-like creatures that lived there at the time. Blind dolphin survey reveals 55% increase in population“Based on its massive teeth, Simbakubwa was a specialised hyper-carnivore that was significantly larger than the modern lion and possibly larger than a polar bear,” said Matthew Borths, from Duke University, who co-led the research with Ohio University. An artist’s impression of the creature shows a giant big-cat-like hunter with stripey fur and enormous fangs.

Source: The Express Tribune April 18, 2019 05:26 UTC