December 1, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Science Cafe | Before Lions Were King: Discovering Africa’s First Meat-eaters, Dec. 6

Science Café presents Dr. Nancy Stevens and Matthew Borths discussing “Before Lions Were King: Discovering Africa’s First Meat-eaters” on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. at the Baker Center Front Room.

Dr. Nancy Stevens

Today, lions, hyenas, and hunting dogs are the iconic predators at the top of the African food chain. But they haven’t always been king. They inherited their dominant role as apex carnivores from an ancient, extinct lineage of meat-eaters: the hyaenodonts.

Once found in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, these carnivores were equipped with more meat-slicing teeth than big cats. They ranged from the size of a weasel to a rhino. Over the last few years, Ohio University researchers Stevens and Borths have discovered new species in Egypt and Tanzania, new specimens of juveniles, and new specimens of a colossal hyaenodont from Kenya.

“With all of these new fossils we are gaining a better understanding of how these animals lived and why they ultimately went extinct,” said Borths, a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Biomedical Sciences Department.

Watch live or later on A&S TV.

Sciencé Cafe events are held on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in the Front Room at Baker University Center. They are free and open to students, faculty and staff. Science Café is a venue for students to share their interests informally during a conversation exchange in a friendly setting.

The Science Café is hosted by Dr. Sarah Wyatt, Professor of Environmental & Plant Biology and Vice President of the Ohio University Chapter of Sigma Xi, and Roxanne Malé-Brune, Director of Grant Development and Projects in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Creativity.

Science Café and Café Conversations are sponsored by the Office of Vice President for Research and Creativity and the Ohio University Chapter of Sigma Xi.