The Kingdom of the Big Cats fossil display – photo essay

December 19, 2011 – Laura Maggs and Bianca Bothma

Bolt’s Farm, located 2.5km from the Sterkfontein Caves, is home to a number of significant discoveries. Nicknamed the Kingdom of the Big Cats, Bolt’s Farm is the first place in Africa where the partial skeletons of big cats have been found.

The prehistoric big cat fossils are a feather in the cap of Professor Robert Broom who discovered them 75 years ago. They are thought to be between 2.9-million and 4.5-million years old. The fossil remains of pigs, antelope, elephants and rodents have also been unearthed in the area.

Maropeng is currently exhibiting a selection of the original fossils discovered at Bolt’s Farm, in partnership with the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History. The exhibition, arranged to coincide with the Broom Colloquium that took place in November, will run until February 2012.

Below are a few photos taken at the exhibition. Visit Maropeng to see these extraordinary finds for yourself.

Dinofelis barlowi is a large cat (or felid) and represents the flagship of this exhibition. Displayed here is the exceptionally well preserved original skull. Dinofelis barlowi is a false sabre-toothed cat. The upper canines are long but not as flat as true sabre-toothed cats. This specimen was collected during the University of California excavation between 1947 and 1948.

The mandible of a very large young cat (also Panthera and possibly a lion) discovered by the Hope Research Unit

The mandible and skull of a lion cub of similar age for size comparison

Upper tusk of a fossil pig in a block of breccia discovered by the Hope Research Unit

The skull of a fossil pig (Phacochoerus modestus) collected during the University of California excavation in 1947-1948

It is not just skeletal remains such as bones and teeth that are found at palaeontological sites, but fossilised dung (coprolites) as seen in this cabinet. These coprolites probably belong to hyena and can contain fossil plant pollens that allow reconstruction of past environments eg open grassland or wooden paleo-habitats

A block of breccia with micro mammal remains (rodents, bats, shrews)

Remains of the oldest monkey (Parapapio) found in the Cradle of Humankind by the Human Origins and Past Environments (Hope) Research Unit

News comments powered by Disqus