If you thought you saw stars every time your domestic cat bit your foot when you moved under the covers after going to bed, wait until you hear what archaeologists have discovered in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. This fossil, catalogued as MHNT.VT.2075, has become the most valuable evidence of a forgotten predator. It is a worn and curved fang measuring almost 6 cm.
If your beloved Siamese cat’s fang is less than 1 cm long and still hurts you, we can assume that this ancient predator would be capable of tearing through your thigh and reaching the marrow. Thank goodness there are millions of years between its existence and ours.
For decades, this giant has been a mystery hidden under layers of sediment that have only recently been uncovered. The big revelation is that this enormous tooth does not belong to a modern tiger or crocodile, but to a terrifying “swamp monster” that reigned as Brazil’s greatest predator approximately 25 million years ago, during what is known as the Late Oligocene.
The Oligocene in Brazil
At that time, South America was an island continent completely isolated from the rest of the world. The global climate was cooling, transforming the Eocene landscape into extensive lake and swamp ecosystems. In this unique setting, evolution took paths that seem strange to us today. The main protagonists of this story are the Sparassodonta. These were carnivorous metatherians, distant relatives of marsupials such as possums and kangaroos. Specifically, the owner of this tusk belonged to the extinct and robust Proborhyaenidae family.
Although only a single tusk has been found, archaeologists have been able to analyze it as if it were a complete autopsy of this prehistoric killer. Thanks to characteristics such as its curvature (known as procumbency), it has been possible to analyze that the tooth projected forward from the jaw. This was essential for actively hooking and holding its prey. In addition, the fang has deep grooves that acted as structural reinforcements. This allowed it to withstand the extreme stresses of a devastating bite.
Another striking feature of the fang is that the root of the tooth was open, suggesting that it was constantly growing (like modern rodents, which must constantly file down their teeth). All these details paint a fairly complete picture of the habits of this robust animal. It was a predator fully adapted to hunting in its swampy environment.fang
Its Fierce Competition
Although scientists believe that this predator was at the top of the food chain, it also had neighbors that were quite competent at hunting. The fauna of the Tremaine Formation was exotic and surprising. The potential diet of this giant with fangs included some of the strangest herbivores ever encountered in history: Notoungulates and Lithopterns, which looked like a mammalian cross between a horse and a camel. There were also the giant Pyrotheres, similar to elephants or tapirs, and the Astrapoterios.
Among the most fierce and direct competitors were the famous Terror Birds (Phorusrhacidae). Although these birds could not fly, their axe-shaped beaks were capable of crushing skulls. One species of these terror birds, Paraphysornis, has also been found in the same Tremembé Formation in Brazil. This confirms that the Proborhyaenid competed fiercely with these giant birds for food and territory.
Archaeological findings confirm that the Tremembé Formation was an area of intense competition for survival. It was a pantheon of unique predators. However, based on the size and specialization of the fang, scientists believe that this particular specimen was at the top of the food chain. Paleontologist Caio César Rangel’s team is certain that it dominated the food chain in its niche. For now, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that no eccentric billionaire pays to recreate this animal’s DNA in an attempt to domesticate it, as if it were Jurassic Park.