The world is ancient, older than we may know. Although we humans like to think that we know everything, there is so much yet to discover. Animals are one thing that we continuously learn more about. In 2007 a prehistoric cat was uncovered underneath the Madrid Principe Pio Station. This proved to be part of a paleontological from the Miocene Period.
Your Purrfect Pal
When someone mentions cats we tend to think of fluffy, cute, domesticated companions. You don’t generally think about cats with the ability to cause serious damage. The majority of us don’t look at a lion or cheetah and feel the urge to run towards it for cuddles. However, there are dangerous cats in the world. What if I told you that a new, ancient one has been discovered?
The Cats Out Of The Bag
In 2007 paleontologists discovered fossils of a new cat species in Madrid, Spain. This species would have walked the earth around 15 million years ago. The fossil included only a jawbone. It is incredible how such a detached bone is able to provide so much information, telling us about past lives that we could not have had any idea about.
Medium Sized And Giant Jaws
It’s funny to think that, as a result of someone deciding that the underground public transport needed an upgrade, a prehistoric creature was uncovered. This predatory cat was named Magerifelis peignei, which translates to Madrid cat. Sounds fancy yet so simple. This cat is said to have suffocated its prey by just one bite to the throat. Let’s change that previous statement to fancy, simple, and scary.
In Purrfect Form
The mandible and teeth found were pristine, especially since they are so old. Scientists have said that they are one of the best-conditioned fossils found so far. Dating back to the Middle Miocene era, almost 15.5 million years ago, this cat still catches eyes and turns heads with her strange newfound beauty.
The Bigger The Better
Scientists have declared that the characteristics of this fossil show that this prehistoric cat preyed on animals of a larger size. Well, at least larger than the cats of today. I found this interesting as their second molar is lower down, and their lower canine is smaller than the cats we know. This bone from years ago holds information that can still inform us on the world today.
The Old and The New
Some may be secretly thinking to themselves, ‘Cool, old bone has been found. So what?’. Fossils provide vital evidence for us to understand the past, present, and future. They may seem like old bony bones, but they hold secrets and knowledge that cannot be passed down via word of mouth.
The Ultimate Process of Fossilization
The world is old. Weird statement right? The thing is, in its old age, it holds wisdom and knowledge. With years of life and death, there is so much for us to learn, hiding beneath the surface. Once an animal, or even plant, has passed on it is buried, either purposefully or simply through mother nature taking its course. The organism soon begins to decay, becoming part of the earth around it. The minerals of the earth begin to plant themselves into the decaying organism and after years of compacting, this organism may become a fossil.
Discovering Time Capsules
After many MANY years, erosion and movement of tectonic plates, perhaps even human interference, bring these fossils to the service. Someone may stumble across them or they may have been in search of them, either way, the fossil gets found. Paleontologists have the job of very carefully removing these fossils and taking them to the labs to be studied. What story will this discovery provide?
Finding The Extraordinary
The discovery of age old fossils provides us with a door to the past. The uncovering of the 2007 Magerifelis peignei fossil expressed the evolution of prehistoric cats to the cat we know today. The world continues to evolve and progress. The more we are able to learn, the more we are able to help this planet continue to create history for later generations to discover and enjoy.
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