Story highlights Otter-like creature had large, powerful jaws and enlarged teeth

It's part of the otter family which dates back at least 18 million years

Hong Kong (CNN) The modern day otter might not be the most fearsome creature to stalk the Earth, but the discovery of a species that lived 6.6 million years ago in southwestern China suggests its ancestor cut a much more intimidating figure.

With "wolf-like" proportions, and weighing roughly 100 Ibs, the creature -- whose skull was excavated in Yunnan province -- would have been twice the size of today's otters.

The newly discovered species, Siamogale melilutra, had large, powerful jaws and enlarged teeth, according to the scientists responsible for excavating and studying a cranium pulled from a geological site in 2010.

"From the beginning of the discovery, we realized that it could be a new species because of its huge size," Professor Ji Xueping told CNN. "I'm not an expert in carnivores, but I knew, when it was taken out of the ground, that this was something new."

Ji led the Chinese field team as a part of a collaboration that included the Yunnan Cultural Relics and Archaeological Institute and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

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