New Hyaenodont from Pakistan Reveals Mammal Carnivores Ruled Long Before Cats and Dogs!

Paleontologists have described a spectacular new hyaenodont from Pakistan that proves these fearsome, bone-crushing carnivores dominated Asian ecosystems for millions of years after they had largely vanished from Europe and North America — long before the rise of modern cats, dogs, and other carnivorans.

The partial skeleton of Pakihyaenodon giganteus (“giant Pakistani hyaenodont”), including a mᴀssive skull, powerful jaws, and limb bones, was recovered from the early Oligocene (~30 million years ago) deposits of the Bugti Hills in Balochistan. At an estimated 200–250 kg, it was among the largest terrestrial carnivores of its time, with shearing carnᴀssial teeth and a robust skull built for dispatching prey far larger than itself.

Lead author Dr. Junaid Jaffar (University of Peshawar) explains: “This animal shows that hyaenodonts remained the undisputed apex predators of Asia well into the Oligocene, while carnivorans were still small and marginal. They didn’t disappear quietly — they ruled until the very end.”

The discovery fills a critical gap in the Asian fossil record and demonstrates that hyaenodonts persisted in isolated refugia long after their decline elsewhere. It also suggests that the “Age of Cats and Dogs” began later in Asia than in the Northern Hemisphere, delayed by the persistence of these archaic super-predators.

CT scans reveal bite forces rivaling those of modern lions, while ᴀssociated prey bones indicate they tackled rhinoceros-sized ungulates. The find rewrites the story of mammalian carnivore succession: hyaenodonts were not evolutionary losers but dominant players that only surrendered their throne after millions of years of unchallenged supremacy.

As more Bugti material is prepared, Pakihyaenodon promises to show how the last great hyaenodonts finally gave way to the ancestors of today’s cats and dogs — proving that the true “Age of Carnivorans” began much later than textbooks once claimed.