– (Márcio L. Castro)
In addition to elongated canine teeth, they were heavier and had shorter tails and legs than today’s big cats. Despite being popularly called «tigers», these animals were part of families and subfamilies that derived from an evolutionary branch different from that of current felines. Therefore, a saber-toothed tiger is not really a tiger, nor a lion, nor a leopard – it is distantly related to all of these by having a common ancestor. Of all the species nicknamed saber-toothed tigers, the three in the genus Smilodon are the most popular. And, of these, the South American Smilodon populatorshown below, was the largest of all.
SOCIAL LIFE
It is not known whether the Smilodon roamed in packs or alone. Scientists have observed fossils of animals that suffered severe injuries in life, suggesting they were somehow supported by peers. However, it is also taken into account that modern cats can go up to five weeks without food – enough time to heal.
SEXUAL DYSMORPHISM
Unlike lions, for example, males and females of Smilodon they were practically the same in appearance. Scientists speculate that, if they lived in groups, this parity would lessen competition for mates and could even lead to monogamous couples.
TEETH
Some fossils have been found with broken canines or one missing. The teeth were fragile because, if the prey struggled, the animal would emerge with only the fractured canine and not the entire jaw.
THE ATTACK
1. Hidden in the vegetation, the tiger came close to the prey
two. When close enough, he would leap towards her and push her with his front paws.
3. The prey fell to the ground with the brute force of the tiger’s paws, which kept it immobile.
4. Before the prey could recover, the tiger would sink its teeth into a soft area, such as the neck, delivering a final, fatal blow.
– (Márcio L. Castro)
SOURCES Books Sabertoothby Mauricio Antón, and The Other Saber-tooths: Scimitar-tooth Cats of the Western Hemisphere (various authors), articles Body size of Smilodonby John M. Harris Christiansen, Paleoecology of the large carnivore guild from the late Pleistocene of Argentinaby Francisco J. Prevosti and Sergio F. Vizcaíno, and Sabretoothed Carnivores and the Killing of Large Prey (various authors)