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 CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - An ancient tar pit exposed when Venezuelan oil workers laid a pipeline has yielded a rich trove of fossils, including a type of saber-toothed cat that paleontologists had never found before in South America. Scientists say the find holds the promise of many discoveries to come.
The fossils are 1.8 million years old and include skulls and jawbones of six scimitar-toothed cats — a variety of saber-toothed cat with shorter, narrower canine teeth than other species.
Researchers led by Venezuelan paleontologist Ascanio Rincon announced the discovery this month, saying in addition to proving the cat once lived here, the find also should offer a rare window into the environment shortly after North and South America became connected following an age of separation.
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