Pangurban egiae: Cat-like sabre-toothed carnivore evolved faster than previously thought

A fossil previously categorised as a hyena-like mammal is actually an early member of a group of sabre-toothed carnivores called nimravids. Its advanced features suggest these animals evolved rapidly

By Riley Black

The fossil of a cat-like mammal that lived between 37 and 40 million years ago has revealed that a group of sabre-toothed carnivores, the nimravids, evolved into diverse species much earlier than thought.

Animals with sabre-like teeth have arisen over and over again during the past 66 million years, but the nimravids, which eventually evolved into a range of sizes from modern-day bobcat (or red lynx) to lion, were among the most fearsome.

Ashley Poust at the San Diego Natural History Museum …