Oldest cat fossil found in Tibet

Scientists have found an ancient ancestor to the
Snow Leopard. Image from ibtimes.com.

Big cats have roamed the Earth for significantly longer than we once thought. Up until now, the oldest big cat fossil was recovered in Tanzania and dated to approximately 3.7 million years ago. The new find is from Tibet, and about 4.4 million years old.

4.4 million years is a relatively short period of time for the planet, but mind boggling to imagine. At that point in time Mammoths roamed the Earth.

The fossil appears to be closely related to the snow leopard, and it's believed to have evolved in Asia and spread over the world from there.

The snow leopard is one of the world's most endangered animals, and there is only around 4,500 left in the world.

~ Maria Sadowski ~