The limestone cliffs of Majorca hide many secrets. In their folds, paleontologists have uncovered the remains of a unique creature : a meter-long predator, lacking fur and external ears, whose anatomy defies our usual classifications.
This creature is a Gorgonopsian, which researchers have just discovered the oldest fossilized specimen ever found. The results of their excavations were published on December 17 In Nature Communications.
Synapsids: precursors of mammals
The Gorgonopsian belongs to the group of synapsids, these creatures which paved the way for the emergence of mammals. These animals, which appeared more than 270 million years ago, already presented certain traits that we associate today with mammals, while retaining ancestral reptilian characteristics close to dinosaurs.
The specimen from Majorca perfectly illustrates this duality : its skeleton reveals an intermediate posture, its limbs being neither totally spread out like those of reptiles, nor erect under the body like those of mammals.
It laid eggs, like reptiles, but its endotherm metabolism allowed it to maintain a constant body temperature, unlike the latter. This means that he was already able to regulate his body temperature by producing internal heat, regardless of the outside temperature. An advantage that reptiles do not possess, forced to expose themselves to the Sun, or on the contrary to seek shade to cool off.
Dawn of the Saber-Toothed Predators
The discovery of this Gorgonopsian fossil deviates the trajectory of the history of saber-toothed predators. Until now, these iconic fangs were associated with relatively recent mammals, such as the famous Smilodon. This prehistoric feline, which roamed the plains of North America 2.5 million years ago, sported upper canines up to 28 centimeters long. However, the fossil from Majorca completely disrupts this timeline.
Josep Fortuny, researcher at the Institut Català de Paleontologia (ICP) in Barcelona, explains: “ This discovery pushes back the origin of saber teeth by more than 267 million years “. Saber teeth are therefore not an evolutionary innovation of prehistoric felines, but a predation strategy which emerged very early in the history of terrestrial vertebrates.
What makes this discovery particularly fascinating is that nature has invented saber teeth several times, in different evolutionary lineages. Paleontologists speak of convergent evolution : Faced with similar challenges, different groups of animals independently develop comparable anatomical solutions.
In the case of the Mallorcan Gorgonopsian, its elongated canines probably allowed it to effectively pierce the thick skin of its preya hunting technique that would later be taken up by various groups of mammals.
This early adaptation of saber teeth in the Mallorcan Gorgonopsian shows us that major morphological evolutions can appear much earlier than we thought, and in sometimes unexpected forms. The history of life on Earth does not come down to a linear pathbut more like a complex tapestry where adaptations can emerge, disappear, and reappear over millions of years.
A glimpse of life on Earth millions of years ago
The discovery of this fossil not only tells us about the animal itself, but reveals a whole part of the geological history of our planet. At the time when this Gorgonopsian lived (the Permian, from 270 to 250 million years BCE), Mallorca was not the Mediterranean island we know.
This region was an integral part of the supercontinent Pangea and was located at an equatorial latitude, comparable to that of present-day Congo. The climate alternated between very wet and very dry periods, creating a dynamic environment where floodplains and temporary pools attracted a wide variety of wildlife. These water points became oases of life, attracting a diversity of herbivores who came to drink there.
It is in this context that Àngel Galobart of the ICP replaces the ecological role of the Gorgonopsian : “ Sabretooths often characterize large predators in ecosystems, and our specimen likely occupied this niche in its environment. “.
This observation takes on its full meaning in the landscape described: the water points constituted ideal hunting areas for a predator on the prowl. The Gorgonopsian could ambush its prey when they came to drinkusing the dense vegetation of the banks as cover. A real little T-Rex.
- Paleontologists have discovered in Mallorca a unique fossil of a sabre-toothed predator dating back more than 270 million years: the Gorgonopsian.
- This specimen, from the first precursors of mammals, combines reptilian traits and advanced adaptations such as an endotherm metabolism.
- This discovery pushes back the origin of saber teeth, showing that they appeared well before mammals, thanks to a process of convergent evolution.
