The latest discovery by the Vertebrate Paleontology Center makes the cover of the British magazine "Science Vega"
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The latest scientific discovery by Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center research team—the discovery and naming of a new genus of predatory mammals that lived in Egypt 30 million years ago, and the renaming of another genus discovered 120 years ago—is featured on the cover of the April issue of the British magazine "Science Vega," which specializes in simplifying science for school and university students.
Prof. Cherif Khater, President of Mansoura University, expressed his great pleasure with this global scientific achievement in the field of vertebrate paleontology, stressing the university's continued support for its researchers to achieve further accomplishments that place Egypt at the forefront of leading countries in scientific research.
The magazine conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Shorouk El-Ashkar, the lead author of the research and a member of the "Sallam Lab" research team, headed by Prof. Hesham Sallam, founder of the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center at the Faculty of Science. She discussed the details of her new research discovery, which has received significant attention from educational institutions in the United Kingdom. The issue was distributed to more than 500 teachers in 350 British schools, providing access to the content for more than 175,000 science students, in addition to a number of international universities and institutes.
ScienceVega is a prestigious educational platform in Britain, aiming to inspire students and broaden their scientific horizons by highlighting outstanding discoveries and innovations around the world.
The discoveries of Bastet and Sekhmet were made during a Salam Lab expedition to the Fayum Depression in 2020. The five-year effort continued to complete the discovery and naming of a new genus of predatory mammals that lived in Egypt, and to rename another genus discovered 120 years ago. The research was published in the International Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and was also published in 449 media outlets worldwide, including 106 direct links to the Taylor & Francis website, one of the largest international scientific media outlets.
This global reach resulted in the research ranking 6th in the list of the most influential research among all scientific articles published by Taylor & Francis in 2025, 13th among the most influential research in the history of Vertebrate Paleontology, and 10th among the most influential research during the past five years in the same journal, with an impact score of 849 points, reflecting the extent of global interest in this research.
