The period of saber-toothed tigers. Saber-toothed tiger Smilodon. Report, photo, video. Smilodon was not the only genus of saber-toothed cats

Saber-toothed cats are typical representatives extinct subfamily of cats. Some barburofelids and nimravids that do not belong to the Felidae family are also sometimes mistakenly classified as Saber-toothed cats. Saber-toothed mammals could also be found in some other orders, including creodonts (macheroids) and saber-toothed marsupials, well known as thylacosmyla.

Description of saber-toothed cats

Saber-toothed cats were found in the Middle and Early Miocene. An early member of the subfamily, Pseudaelurus quadridentatus, was responsible for the trend toward enlargement of the upper canines. Most likely, a similar trait underlay the so-called evolution saber-toothed cats. The last representatives belonging to the subfamily of saber-toothed cats, the genus Smilodon.

And also homotherium (Homotherium), became extinct in the late Pleistocene, about 10 thousand years ago. The best known early genus Miomachairodus was known from the Middle Miocene of Turkey and Africa. During the Late Miocene, saber-toothed cats coexisted in several areas with Barbourofelis and some large archaic carnivores with long canines.

Appearance

DNA analysis published in 2005 showed that the Saber-toothed cat subfamily (Machairodontinae) was separated from the early ancestors of modern cats and is not related to any living felines. In Africa and Eurasia, saber-toothed cats coexisted quite successfully with other cats, but competed with cheetahs and panthers. In America, such animals, along with Smilodon, coexisted with American lion(Panthera leo atrox) and puma (Puma concolor), jaguar (Panthera onca) and Miracinonyx.

This is interesting! Scientists have different opinions regarding the color of the coat, but experts believe that most likely the color of the fur was not uniform, but had clearly visible stripes or spots against the general background.

Conical-toothed and saber-toothed cats competed with each other for the distribution of food resources, which provoked the extinction of the latter. All modern cats have upper canines that are less or more conical in shape. According to the mitochondrial DNA data studied, saber-toothed cats of the subfamily Machairodontinae had an ancestor that lived about 20 million years ago. The animals had very long and noticeably curved fangs. In some species, the length of such fangs reached 18-22 cm, and the mouth could easily open 95°. Any modern representatives cats are able to open their mouths only 65°.

The study of the teeth present on the remains of saber-toothed cats allowed scientists to draw the following conclusion: if the fangs of the animal were used both forward and backward, then they were capable of literally cutting through the flesh of the victim. However, the movement of such teeth from one side to the other could very well cause serious damage or complete breakage. The predator's muzzle is noticeably extended forward. Direct descendants of saber-toothed cats this moment does not exist, and the question of relationship with the modern clouded leopard is currently controversial.

The extinct predator was characterized by a well-developed, powerful and very muscular body, but most of all such an animal had a pronounced frontal part, represented by the front legs and a massive cervical region. The powerful neck allowed the predator to easily support the overall impressive body mass, as well as perform a whole range of important maneuvers with its head. As a result of such structural features of the body, saber-toothed cats were able to knock down and then tear apart their prey with one bite.

Sizes of saber-toothed cats

By the nature of their physique, saber-toothed cats were less graceful and stronger animals than any modern cats. For many, it was typical to have a relatively short tail, reminiscent of a lynx's tail. It is also widely believed that saber-toothed cats belonged to the category of very large predators. However, it has been scientifically proven that many species of this family were relatively small in size, noticeably smaller than the ocelot and leopard. Only a very few, including Smilodon and Homotherium, could be classified as megafauna.

This is interesting! The height of the predator at the withers was most likely 100-120 cm, with a length of about 2.5 meters, and the size of the tail did not exceed 25-30 cm. The length of the skull was about 30-40 cm, and the occipital part and frontal region were slightly smoothed.

Representatives of the tribe Machairodontini, or Homoterini, were distinguished by exceptionally large and wide upper canines, which were serrated on the inside. When hunting, such predators most often relied on a blow rather than a bite. Saber-toothed tigers belonging to the tribe Smilodontini were characterized by long, but relatively narrow upper canines, which were absent a large number of jagged An attack with fangs from top to bottom was deadly, and in its size such a predator resembled a lion or an Amur tiger.

Representatives of the third and most ancient tribe Metailurini were characterized by the so-called “transitional stage” of canines. It is generally accepted that such predators were separated from other machairodonts quite early, and they evolved slightly differently. It is precisely because of the rather weak expression of the characteristics characteristic of saber-tooths that the animals of this tribe received the name “small cats”, or “pseudo-saber-tooths”. Recently, representatives of this tribe have ceased to be classified as subfamily Saber-toothed cats.

Lifestyle, behavior

Saber-toothed cats, in all likelihood, were not only scavengers, but also quite active predators. It can be assumed that the most large species extinct saber-toothed cats were capable of hunting large prey. At the moment, direct evidence of hunting for adult mammoths or their calves is completely absent, but the skeletons of such animals found next to numerous remains of representatives of the species Homotherium serum may well indicate such a possibility.

This is interesting! The theory of behavioral characteristics is confirmed by the very strong forepaws of Smilodon, which were actively used by predators to pin prey to the ground in order to subsequently deliver a precise fatal bite.

The functional purpose of the characteristic and very long teeth of saber-toothed cats remains the subject of fierce debate to this day. It is possible that they were used to apply large prey deep puncture and laceration wounds, from which the victim bled very quickly. Many critics of this hypothesis believe that the teeth could not withstand such a load and had to break off. Therefore, the opinion is often voiced that saber-toothed cats used their fangs exclusively to simultaneously damage the trachea and carotid artery of captured, defeated prey.

Lifespan

The exact life expectancy of saber-toothed cats has not yet been established by domestic and foreign scientists.

Sexual dimorphism

There is a currently unconfirmed version that the very long teeth of the predator served as a kind of decoration for it and attracted relatives of the opposite sex during mating rituals. Elongated fangs reduced the width of the bite, but in this case, most likely, there should have been signs of sexual dimorphism.

Discovery history

The oldest finds date back 20 million years. The official version of the reason for the extinction of the Pleistocene inhabitants, according to scientists, is famine that arose under the influence of the Ice Age. This theory is confirmed by the considerable wear on the teeth of the found remains of such predators.

This is interesting! It was after the discovery of ground-down teeth that the opinion arose that in times of famine, predators began to eat the entire prey, including the bones, which injured the fangs of the saber-toothed cat.

Nevertheless, modern research the difference between the level of wear of the teeth of extinct carnivorous cats in the most different periods existence. Many foreign and domestic paleontologists, after a thorough analysis of the remains, came to the conclusion that the main reason for the extinction of predatory saber-toothed cats was their own behavior.

The notorious long fangs were for animals not only a terrible weapon for killing prey, but also a rather fragile part of the body of their owners. The teeth simply broke quite quickly, so subsequently, according to the logic of evolution, all species with this trait naturally became extinct.

In this article I will talk about saber-toothed tigers. About how they looked, ate, hunted. I will consider the reasons that prevented further development and the prosperity of these big cats.

Who are saber-tooth tigers

Saber-toothed tigers are members of the felid subfamily that went extinct about 10,000 years ago.

By the way, they never belonged to tigers. They probably weren't even striped.

The erroneous name for the animals appeared after excavations where the remains of upper fangs were found, reaching a length of 20 centimeters. They reminded scientists of fangs in appearance modern tiger.

Saber-toothed tiger period

Saber-toothed tigers, or smilodon, appeared about 20 million years ago in Africa.

The predecessors of big cats began to rapidly develop upper canines, which undoubtedly influenced the further evolution of these animals. Their further habitats extended more towards North and South America, less towards Asia and Europe.

It is not known for certain how Smilodon lived. It is believed that the animals preferred large, open areas with little vegetation. It is also unknown in which groups the tigers lived. The generally accepted opinion is that if big cats and lived in groups, the latter consisted of an equal number of males and females.

Description of appearance and behavior

There is no reliable information about the appearance of the animals, because conclusions about what the saber-toothed tiger looked like were made solely from the remains found.

A large number of remains were found in the Los Angeles Valley in an oil lake. During the Ice Age, it attracted Smilodon with its brilliance. As a result, they died, being unable to withstand the liquid asphalt from the lake.

The color of the animals was presumably light brown interspersed with small leopard spots.

There is also debate about whether albino saber-tooth tigers ever existed.

Smilodon's legs were short. The cats pinched the victim with them and dug their twenty-centimeter fangs into the poor thing’s throat. The fangs could also be used to remove the “fur coat” of a killed animal.

The tail was also short, unlike the tail of modern tigers.

These ancient species were not known for their great endurance, mainly due to their massive physique. However, no one was inferior to them in reaction speed. It’s scary to imagine what it was like for people who lived in the same territory and at the same time as these ferocious predators.

Where they lived, how and who they hunted

Smilodon habitats

The animals lived mainly in America. However, the remains of animals were also found in the territories of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Food and hunting

Smilodon ate only animal food.

Their diet included antelope, bison, horses, deer and even young mammoths. Sometimes predatory animals also feasted on carrion.

The main hunters were females.

They always walked ahead of the pack. Having caught the prey, they immediately strangled it with their massive front paws.

This behavior is similar to the behavior of cats, and not tigers, which again confirms the lack of relationship between Smilodon and modern tigers.

Smilodon competitors

The competitors of the saber-toothed cat in America were predator birds the Fororacoceae family and giant sloths Megatherium, whose weight sometimes reached 4 tons.

In North America, danger to these predators included cave lions, bears and wolves.

Reasons for the extinction of Smilodon

To begin with, it is worth noting that there is no confirmation that saber-toothed cats continue to exist in our time. Although loud statements periodically appear in the press that Smilodon were seen somewhere in the mountains.

The reason for the extinction of Smilodon was presumably the disappearance of protein-rich vegetation. After the Ice Age, plants grew again, but they chemical composition was already different. This led to the death of the herbivores, and subsequently the tigers themselves.

Modern descendants of saber-toothed tigers

Clouded leopards are indirect descendants of saber-toothed tigers.

However, only three-centimeter fangs remained from the large twenty-centimeter fangs, and beautiful eyes from the ferocious gaze.

The clouded leopard, unlike other leopards, is isolated in separate genus: it did not come from panthers.

It is believed that there are no direct descendants of Smilodon.

Saber-toothed tigers became extinct due to the work of the uncompromising laws of nature: cooling and disappearance of vegetation.

Today, in the age of computer graphics and high technology, are trying to recreate Smilodon using genetic engineering methods.

This is a complex, expensive and time-consuming process. In addition, the extinction of saber-toothed tigers is another reason to think about the need to protect nature and its riches, because every hour on our planet as many as 3 species of living beings disappear. And whether the representatives of the Red Book will remain alive in the future is up to us to decide.

Evolution

Saber-toothed cats appeared in the Early or Middle Miocene in Africa. Early member of the subfamily Pseudaelurus quadridentatus had a tendency towards enlargement of the upper canines, and was probably at the basis of the evolution of saber-toothed cats. The earliest famous family Miomachairodus known from the Middle Miocene of Africa and Turkey. By the late Miocene, saber-toothed cats coexisted in several places along with Barburofelis ( Barbourofelis), archaic large carnivores that also had long fangs. The last representatives of the subfamily of saber-toothed cats, namely the genera Smilodon ( Smilodon) and homotheria ( Homotherium), became extinct in the late Pleistocene, approximately 10,000 years ago in America.

Appearance

Saber-toothed cats owe their name to very long curved fangs, reaching 20 cm in some species. These animals could open their mouths 95°, which was necessary for the use of such teeth. Modern cats can only open their mouths 65°. In terms of body structure, saber-toothed cats were stronger and less graceful than modern cats. Many had a relatively short tail, similar to that of a lynx. There is a common belief that saber-toothed cats were very large. In fact, many species were relatively small (smaller than a leopard and even smaller than an ocelot). Only a few, such as Smilodon (a species Smilodon populator- most major representative saber-toothed cats) or homotheria, belonged to the megafauna.

Taxonomy

Saber-toothed cats were originally divided into three tribes. One of them was the tribe Metailurini, to which the extinct genera belonged Metailurus, Adelphailurus And Dinofelis. Today they are considered small cats. Therefore, only the following two tribes remain:

Behavior

Saber-toothed cats were, in all likelihood, active predators, and not just scavengers, as is sometimes claimed. It can be assumed that large species of saber-toothed cats hunted large prey. But so far there is no direct evidence that they hunted mammoths or mammoths. However, the discovery of mammoth skeletons next to the remains of the species Homotherium serum, perhaps indicate this. The function of the characteristic long teeth is still a matter of debate. They may have been used to inflict deep puncture and laceration wounds on large prey, causing them to bleed. Critics of such a hypothesis claim that the teeth would not withstand the typical load and would break off. Therefore, they suggest that saber-toothed cats used their teeth to simultaneously gnaw the carotid artery and trachea of prostrate prey. This theory is also supported by the very strong forepaws of species such as Smilodon, which were needed to pin prey to the ground and strike it accurately. fatal bite. There is also a version that long teeth served as decoration and attracted relatives when marriage rituals, since elongated fangs reduce the width of the bite, although in this case, most likely, sexual dimorphism would be present.

Distribution and finds

Smilodon skull

The remains of saber-toothed cats have been found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. The oldest finds are dated back to 20 million years ago. In Europe, saber-toothed cats, represented by Homotherium, existed until at least 30 thousand years ago and inhabited the North Sea region, which at that time was still dry land. In North America, Homotherium and Smilodon disappeared almost simultaneously about 10 thousand years ago. In Africa and South Asia, the last saber-toothed cats, meganterions, died out much earlier - about 500 thousand years ago.

Convergent taxa

The term “saber-toothed cats” is often used to describe a large number of species that only have similar long fangs. Most of them acquired them during their adaptation to external environment and conditions of hunting for prey, but upon closer attention there are big differences, especially when compared to real saber-toothed cats.

Although animals that also possessed saber-shaped fangs were mammals, their ancestors, the therapsid lizards, were the first to acquire such weapons. For example, in the Gorgonops family there were genera such as Inostracevia, which had long fangs. True, their fangs were round in cross-section, not flattened.

The second to acquire similar fangs were Thylacosmila. Thylacosmils lived in South America before its reunification with the North and played the role of lions in the local ecosystem. They stand out especially among all mammals that had saber fangs. The peculiarity of these predators was that they were marsupials, which is why they are also called marsupial saber-tooth tigers. Despite some similarities with Smilodon, these animals belong to a completely different order: their fangs grew throughout their lives and had simply huge roots that reached the frontal part. The lower jaw had sheath-like “blades” (probably to protect the fangs when the mouth was closed). Thylacosmils became extinct shortly after the reunification of the Americas - it is believed that they could not withstand competition from the cats that came from the north.

Another group that had large fangs were the creodonts. True, the fangs of the macheroids belonging to them were much shorter and smaller than those of even average saber-toothed cats, in contrast to the powerful and long jaws. This order included, in particular, hyaenodons. Creodonts became extinct by the Miocene.

The fourth was the extinct family of Nimravids. Outwardly, they resembled Smilodon, although they were not their relatives. In terms of body structure, skull and fangs, true saber-toothed cats and nimravids are very similar, but in fact they are another example of convergent evolution. Nimravids evolved only from a common ancestor with true felids in the Middle Eocene about 50 million years ago (but no later than 43 million years ago) and belong to a different suborder of felids. True saber-toothed cats were much larger, stronger, and had much longer teeth - with only a few exceptions.

The fifth place was barburofelids - another extinct family of cat-like predators. They arose in the early Miocene in Africa and survived until its end. Previously, scientists classified them as a subfamily of nimravids, but today they are classified as a separate family. The barburofelis had the longest fangs. Outwardly, they were similar to ancient cats, but unlike saber-toothed cats, they had less developed incisors, smaller eye sockets, and the lower jaws also had “sheaths”, like those of thylacosmils.

The sixth and so far last are the saber-toothed cats themselves.

In popular culture

Saber-toothed cats are often depicted in various works about the life of primitive people, although in reality most of their species became extinct long before the advent of man. modern type. If a reasonable person met with them, then these meetings were probably rare.

Diego is a Smilodon and one of the main characters in the Ice Age animated film series. In the first film, the antagonists were a pride of Smilodon. In the fourth film, Diego has a girlfriend - Smilodon Shira.
John is one of the main characters in the animated series " Dinophrosis", capable of transforming into a Smilodon. Outwardly very different from real saber-toothed cats.
In the film “Sabertooth”, a saber-toothed tiger was cloned and began to hunt people.
Saber-toothed tigers - ferocious predators, lying in wait for travelers walking through the Tiger Forest along the yellow brick road in the Magic Land, described in the stories of A. M. Volkov.
They fought with mahairods in their travels primitive people, Un and Zur, in the novel by J. A. Roney Sr. " Cave lion"(part 1 and epilogue). In the previous novel, The Fight for Fire, Machairod is mentioned only in passing.
Large saber-toothed animals, called "saber tigers" or "saber lions", were seen by Russian travelers in underground world- Plutonia, - where both modern and long-extinct animals of different types existed on the outer surface of the Earth geological periods(science fiction novel by V. A. Obruchev “Plutonia”).
Smilodon hunted people in episodes 3 and 7 of the 2nd season of the television series "Jurassic Portal". Here they are larger than they really were. (We will consider this a feature of the basic reality of the television series universe.)
Grune the Destroyer is an antagonist in the 11th episode of the animated series " Thundercats" (1985), the ghost of a saber-toothed tiger, one of the Thundercats.
Feltooth is a Smilodon creature, an antagonist in the 1st and 2nd episodes of the 2nd season of the television series "Grimm", a cannibal and professional killer. A picture of him appears in the opening sequence of the 4th and 5th seasons.
Saber-toothed tigers, mammoths, vultures and ice bears are clans of ice, antagonists in the 3rd season of the animated series "Legends of Chima". Their leader is the saber-toothed tiger Sir Fangar.
Sabretooth is one of the shadow characters in the anime " Blue Dragon", the fastest character in Season 1.
Saber-toothed tigers are one of the positive characters in the animated series " Max. Dinoterra"(episodes 11 "Heart of the Volcano", 12 "Old Friend", 13 "Dark Forest"), ancestors of lions and tigers.
Zabu (eng. Zabu) is a saber-toothed tiger companion of Ka-Zar in the Marvel universe.
Kisa (eng. Baby Puss) is a saber-toothed cat in the animated series “The Flintstones” (in the closing credits he puts Fred Flintstone out the door). Saber-tooth tigers are mentioned several times, such as saber-tooth milk in Season 4 and a saber-tooth fur cape in Season 1, Episode 10.
At the end of the film Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Zenobia, the main villain in the film, attacks the main characters, taking the form of a Smilodon.
Hena is a Dark Other from the Watch universe, a werewolf who can transform into a Smilodon. He communicated with wild Smilodons when they had not yet become extinct. In the third chapter of V.N. Vasilyev’s novel “The Face of Black Palmyra” appears as an observer from the Inquisition.
Sharp Fang is a tame saber-toothed tiger cub of the werewolf cat Toralei Stripe, a character from “Monster High”.
In Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, the villains used robotic animals ( bats, wolves and saber-toothed tigers). One of the tigers was reprogrammed, and he went over to the side of the positive characters.
Saber-tooth tiger appears in the film 10,000 BC. He was rescued from the trap by the main character D'Leh, after which he saved D'Leh himself, frightening the warriors of the African tribe.
Lord of the Cats (

The saber-toothed tiger belongs to the family saber-toothed cats, which became extinct more than 10,000 years ago. They belong to the Mahairod family. This is how the predators were nicknamed because of their monstrously large twenty-centimeter fangs, which were shaped like the blades of daggers. And besides, they were jagged along the edges, like the weapon itself.

When the mouth was closed, the ends of the fangs were lowered below the chin. It is for this reason that the mouth itself opened twice as wide as that of a modern predator.

The purpose of this terrible weapon still remains a mystery. There are suggestions that males attracted the best females with the size of their fangs. And during the hunt, they inflicted mortal wounds on the prey, which became weak from severe blood loss and could not escape. They could also use their fangs, using them like a can opener, to rip off the skin of a captured animal.

Self animal saber tooth tiger, was very impressive and muscular, one could call him the “ideal” killer. Presumably its length was about 1.5 meters.

The body rested on short legs, and the tail looked like a stump. There was no talk of any grace or cat-like fluidity in movements with such limbs. The reaction speed, strength and instinct of the hunter came first, because he also could not pursue prey for a long time due to the structure of his body, and quickly got tired.

It is believed that the color of the tiger's skin was more spotted than striped. The main color was camouflage shades: brown or red. There are rumors about unique white saber tooth tigers.

Albinos are still found in the cat family, so we can safely say that such colors were also found in prehistoric times. Ancient people met the predator before its disappearance, and its appearance undoubtedly inspired fear. This can be experienced now by looking at photo of saber-toothed tiger or seeing his remains in a museum.

The photo shows the skull of a saber-toothed tiger

Saber-toothed tigers lived in prides and could go out hunting together, which makes their way of life more similar to. There is evidence that when living together, weaker or wounded individuals fed on the successful hunting of healthy animals.

Habitat of the saber-toothed tiger

Saber-toothed tigers dominated for quite a long time in the territories of modern South and North America since the beginning of the Quaternary period– Pleistocene. In much smaller quantities, the remains of saber-toothed tigers have been found on the continents of Eurasia and Africa.

The most famous fossils were found in an oil lake in California that was once an ancient watering hole for animals. There, both the victims of saber-toothed tigers and the hunters themselves fell into a trap. Thanks to environment, the bones of both are perfectly preserved. And scientists continue to receive new information about saber-toothed tigers.

Their habitat was areas with low vegetation, similar to modern savannas and prairies. How saber tooth tigers lived and hunted in them, can be seen on pictures.

Nutrition

Like all modern predators, they were carnivores. Moreover, they were distinguished by a great need for meat and in huge quantities. They hunted only large animals. These were prehistoric, three-toed, and large proboscis.

Could attack saber tooth tigers And on a small mammoth. Small animals could not supplement the diet of this predator, because he could not catch them due to his slowness and eat them; large teeth would interfere with him. Many scientists claim that bad period The saber-toothed tiger did not refuse carrion for food.

Saber-toothed tiger in the museum

The reason for the extinction of saber-toothed tigers

The exact cause of the extinction has not been established. But there are several hypotheses that will help explain this fact. Two of them are directly related to the diet of this predator.

The first assumes that they ate saber tooth tigers not meat, but the blood of the prey. They used their fangs as needles. They pierced the victim's body in the liver area and lapped up the flowing blood.

The carcass itself remained untouched. This diet forced predators to hunt almost all day long and kill a lot of animals. This was possible before the onset of the Ice Age. Later, when there was practically no game, the saber-tooths died out from starvation.

The second, more widespread, states that the extinction of saber-toothed tigers is associated with the direct disappearance of the animals that made up their usual diet. And on the other, they simply could not adapt due to their anatomical features.

There are now opinions that saber tooth tigers still alive and they were seen in Central Africa hunters from local tribes who call it " mountain lion».

But this has not been documented and remains at the level of stories. Scientists do not deny the possibility that some similar specimens still exist today. If saber tooth tigers and, indeed, if they find it, they will immediately appear on the pages Red Book.

The saber-toothed tiger is a giant among cats. For several million years it dominated the territory of America, but disappeared quite suddenly almost 10 thousand years ago. The real reasons extinctions were never established. Today there are no animals that can safely be attributed to his descendants.

Only one thing is known with certainty: the animal has nothing to do with tigers.

Similar anatomical features of the skull (very long fangs, wide-opening mouth) are observed in clouded leopards. Despite this, no evidence of a close relationship between the predators could be found.

Family history

The animal belongs to the cat family, subfamily Machairodontinae or Saber-toothed cats, genus Smilodon. Translated into Russian, “Smilodon” means “dagger tooth.” The first individuals appeared during the Paleogene period about 2.5 million years ago. Tropical climate with slight fluctuations in temperature and lush vegetation favored a general flourishing of mammals. Predators of the Paleogene period multiplied rapidly and did not experience a shortage of food.

The Pleistocene, which replaced the Paleogene, was characterized by a harsher climate with alternating glaciations and periods of slight warming. The saber-toothed cats adapted well to their new habitat and felt great. The distribution range of animals covered South and North America.

At the end of the last ice age, the climate became drier and warmer. Where impenetrable forests once stretched, prairies appeared. Most of megafauna couldn't stand it climate change and died out, the remaining animals moved to open spaces, learned to run fast and evade pursuit.

Having lost their usual prey, predators were unable to switch to smaller animals. The peculiarities of the animal's constitution - short legs and a short tail, a bulky body - made it clumsy and inactive. He could not maneuver or pursue the victim for a long time.

The long fangs made it difficult to catch small animals; they broke during an unsuccessful attempt to grab the victim, piercing into the ground instead. It is quite possible that it was precisely because of famine that the period of saber-toothed tigers ended and there is no point in looking for other explanations.

Kinds

The species Smilodon fatalis appeared on the American continents 1.6 million years ago. It had average size and weight, comparable to the weight of a modern tiger - 170 - 280 kg. Its subspecies include Smilodon californicus and Smilodon floridus.
The species Smilodon gracilis lived in western regions America.
The species Smilodon populator was distinguished by the most large sizes, had a stocky build, exceeding the weight of the largest tigers. Effectively killed the victim by cutting the carotid artery and trachea with sharp fangs.

Paleontological finds

In 1841, the first report of a saber-tooth tiger appeared in the fossil record. Fossil remains were found in the state of Minas Geras in eastern Brazil, where Danish paleontologist and naturalist Peter Wilhelm Lund conducted excavations. The scientist studied and described the relics in detail, systematized the facts and identified the beast as a separate genus.

Rancho La Brea, located in a bitumen valley near the city of Los Angeles, is famous for many finds of prehistoric animals, including the saber-toothed cat. IN ice age in the valley there was a black lake filled with a composition of thickened oil (liquid asphalt). A thin layer of water collected on its surface and attracted birds and animals with its shine.

The animals went to water and ended up in a death trap. All you had to do was step into the fetid mud and your feet themselves would stick to its surface. Under the weight of their bodies, the victims of optical illusion gradually sank into the asphalt, from which even the strongest individuals could not get out. The game bound by the lake seemed like easy prey for predators, but as they made their way to it, they themselves found themselves trapped.

In the middle of the last century, people began to extract asphalt from the lake and unexpectedly discovered there many well-preserved remains of animals buried alive. More than two thousand skulls of saber-toothed cats were raised outside. As it turned out later, only young individuals fell into the trap. Apparently the old animals, already taught by bitter experience, avoided this place.

Scientists from the University of California began studying the remains. Using a tomograph, the structure of the teeth and bone density were determined, and a number of genetic and biochemical studies were carried out. The skeleton of a saber-toothed cat was restored in great detail. Modern Computer techologies helped to recreate the image of the animal and even calculate the force of its bite.

Appearance

One can only guess what the animal saber-toothed tiger actually looks like, because the image created by scientists is very conventional. In the photo, the saber-toothed tiger does not look at all like living representatives of the cat family. Large fangs and bear proportions make it unique and one of a kind. The dimensions of a saber-toothed tiger are comparable to the linear parameters of a large lion.

Body length 2.5 meters, height at withers 100 - 125 cm.
The unusually short tail had a length of 20 - 30 cm. This anatomical feature deprived predators of the opportunity to run quickly. When turning high speed they could not maintain balance, maneuver and simply fell.
The weight of the animal reached 160 - 240 kg. Large individuals from the species Smilodon populator exceeded the weight and had a body mass of 400 kg.
The predator was distinguished by a powerful wrestling physique and awkward body proportions.
In the photo, saber-toothed cats have well-developed muscles, especially on the neck, chest and paws. Their forelimbs are longer than their hind limbs, and their wide feet end in sharp retractable claws. A saber-toothed cat could easily grab an enemy with its front paws and throw him to the ground as best he could.
The saber-toothed tiger's skull was 30 - 40 cm in length. The frontal and occipital parts are smoothed, the massive facial part is extended forward, the mastoid process is well developed.
The jaws opened very wide, almost 120 degrees. Special attachment of muscles and tendons made it possible to press the predator's upper jaw to the lower jaw, and not vice versa, as in all modern cats.
The upper fangs of the saber-toothed tiger protruded 17 - 18 cm from the outside, their roots penetrated into the bones of the skull almost to the very eye sockets. The total length of the fangs reached 27 - 28 cm. They were compressed from the sides, well sharpened at the very ends, pointed in front and behind, and jagged. The unusual structure allowed the fangs to damage the thick skin of animals and bite through flesh, but deprived them of strength. If they hit the bones of the victim, the fangs could easily break, so the success of the hunt always depended on the correctly chosen direction and accuracy of the blow.
The predator's skin has not been preserved and its color can only be established hypothetically. The color most likely was a camouflage device, and therefore corresponded to the habitat. It is quite possible that during the Paleogene period the fur had a sandy-yellow tint, and during the Ice Age only the white saber-toothed tiger was found.

Lifestyle and behavior

The ancient saber-toothed tiger is a representative of a completely different era and, in its behavior, bears little resemblance to modern cats. It is possible that predators lived social groups

These assumptions are confirmed by paleontological finds - several skeletons of cats were often found near one skeleton of a herbivore. An animal, weakened by injuries and diseases, with such a lifestyle could always count on a portion of the prey. According to another theory, the tribesmen were not distinguished by nobility and ate a sick relative.

Hunting

For thousands of years, the predator specialized in hunting animals with thick skins. Having fangs capable of piercing their thick skin, he created real terror during the Ice Ages. The small tail did not allow the animal to develop high speed and hunts fast-running game, so its victims were clumsy, massive herbivorous mammals.

The ancient saber-toothed tiger used cunning techniques and got as close to its prey as possible. The victim was almost always taken by surprise, quickly attacked and used real wrestling techniques. Thanks to special structure paws and well-developed muscles of the anterior shoulder girdle, the animal could hold the animal with its paws for a long time stationary, launching its sharp claws into it and tearing skin and flesh.

The size of the victim often exceeded the size of the saber-toothed tiger several times, but this did not save it from inevitable death. After the prey was knocked to the ground, the predator's fangs pierced deep into its throat.

The speed and accuracy of the attack, and the minimum noise during the attack increased the chances of the saber-toothed cat eating its trophy on its own. Otherwise, more people would run to the battlefield large predators and packs of wolves - and here we already had to fight not only for our prey, but also for our own lives.

The extinct saber-toothed cat ate exclusively animal food, was not known for moderation in food, and could eat 10–20 kg of meat at a time. Its diet included large ungulates and giant sloths. Favorite food: bison, mammoths, horses.

There is no reliable information about the reproduction and care of offspring. Since the predator belongs to the class of mammals, it can be assumed that its cubs fed on mother’s milk for the first month of life. They had to survive in difficult conditions and how many kittens survived to puberty is not known. The lifespan of the beast is also unknown.

A giant fossil saber-toothed cat could very well be genetically cloned in the near future. Scientists hope to isolate DNA material suitable for the experiment from remains preserved in permafrost. The potential egg donor should be an African lioness.
Many popular science films and cartoons have been made about saber-toothed tigers. The most famous of them are “ glacial period"(one of the main characters of the cartoon is the good-natured Smilodon Diego), "Walking with Monsters", "Prehistoric Predators". They are affected Interesting Facts from the life of Smilodon, the events of bygone days are reconstructed.
Predators had no serious competitors in their habitat. Megatheria (giant sloths) posed a certain danger to them. It is possible that they not only ate vegetation, but were also not averse to including fresh meat in their diet. When meeting with a particularly large sloth, Smilodon could well become both an executioner and a victim.