Scientists have discovered an animal that lived 5 million years ago: it looks like a honey badger

The honey badger is a member of the mustelidae family, which includes weasels, otters and badgers. These animals live in

most countries in Africa and East Asia, including India. Despite their relatively small weight (9–14 kg), honey badgers are one of the most aggressive and cruel animals in the world.

Extinct honeyeater from Langebaanweg, South Africa,was originally described more than 40 years ago. Information about him was based only on a few jaw remains. It was classified as a group of mellivorini. 

The new honey badger fossils we describethree times the number of remains that we found earlier. Now we can talk about the animal's lifestyle and its relationship with other weasels. New fossils confirm that this South African species differs from the late Miocene forms from Central Africa and East Africa, as well as from the extant honey badger.

Albert Valenciano, a paleontologist at the University of Cape Town 

Although the honey badger is the only living member of its mustelid subfamily, the species was much more diverse in the past. 

Researchers suggest that previouslyThere were two groups of mustelids: Mellivorini (including the living honey badger and its found relative), as well as Eomellivorini, which were distinguished by their large size. 

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