| Smilodon Temporal range: Early Pleistocene–Early Holocene | |
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| An artist's interpretation | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Subfamily: | Machairodontinae |
| Tribe: | Smilodontini |
| Genus: | Smilodon Lund, 1842 |
| Species: | |
| Synonyms | |
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Genus synonymy
Species synonymy
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Smilodon was a genus of prehistoric cats belonging to the Machairodontinae subfamily. The species Smilodon populator was the last and largest of the sabertooth cats, ranging from North to South America during the Pleistocene.
Commonly referred to as a saber-toothed tiger, or saber-toothed cat, they are by no means related to tigers or other pantherines (also known as big cats) as they belong to a distinct subfamily. Despite this, they are one of the most famous and iconic members of the cat family.
Description[]
Smilodon fatalis. Credit: Rom u
Smilodon species where the heaviest-built of all machairodontine cats. S. populator in particular was the heaviest, at 800 lbs or more. Its only rivals in size amongst the machairodonts were Amphimachairodus and Machairodus horribilis.
Smilodon fatalis was around the same length as a lion, but slightly heavier at around 430-600 lbs. Smilodon gracilis meanwhile, was the smallest species, estimated to be about the same weight as a jaguar, maxing out at 360 lbs in weight. Its also said to be the ancestor of S. fatalis and S. populator. The largest species Smilodon poulator was around 220 to 436 kg (485 to 961 lb) in weight somewhat bigger than modern tigers.
Anatomy and Paleobiology[]
Smilodon populator was the largest sabre-toothed cat (popularly known as the sabre tooth tiger). S. populator was a fierce predator about 3 metres long and 1.25 metres tall. Smilodon species weighed anywhere from 110 (gracilis)–400(populator) kg. Smilodon was a bit larger than a modern-day lion (Panthera leo), and much heavier. Smilodon had relatively short, muscular legs and a short, bobbed tail a bit like that of a modern day bobcat.
S. populator skull and canine from Lund's collection, from Zoological Museum, Copenhagen.
Smilodon's front legs were especially powerful and its body was adapted for springing onto prey, but it was not a very fast runner and could not adapt to chase after fast-running prey like deer. Instead, it hunted relatively slower animals such as Macrauchenia, Toxodon, some species of mammoths and mastodon, and ground sloths. Its 31 cm skull had 2 huge sabre-like canine teeth and these were serrated and oval in cross-section. Many Smilodon fossils have been found with broken canines; a fossil wolf was found with a Smilodon tooth fragment embedded in its skull, as well as a Smilodon recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits with a fatal puncture wound from another of its own kind.
Smilodon had jaws that could 120 degrees while on the other hand, today's lions can only open their jaws at 65 degrees. Smilodon also had and neck muscles that let it stab prey with its deadly maxillary canine sabre teeth, while its jaws were weak as a result of its long canines; its bite strength was comparable to a large dog and much weaker than that of a lion. Its front incisor teeth may also have been used to rip away strips of flesh from the bones of its prey.
Studies by Mauricio Anton et al., also show it could shear off flesh from kills using its carnassial teeth. It is unknown if Smilodon could hunt after lost its teeth but several paleontologists and biologists suggest it could be fatal for the big cat: however, some fossils of Smilodon have been found with healed wounds, indicating injured cat was getting food from an external source which gives credit to it possibly living in prides like modern lions or perhaps in packs akin to those of wolves as there is no size difference between male and female Smilodon recovered from various fossil sites such as Rancho La Brea.
Smilodon Species by Pardusco
Smilodon's hunting behavior was interpreted as ambush strategy, sneaking as close to its prey as possible before leaping on it cause it was so slow and had strong yet stocky legs . After pinning its victim down with its powerful front legs, Smilodon would use its powerful neck muscles to drive its saber teeth into the neck of its prey. Some scientists however disagree with this, and believe it targeted the belly of its prey. No modern cat hunts with a strategy that aims for the belly. Some like jaugars and cougars/pumas sometimes target the head but not the stomach.
Such strategies are filled with problems; aiming for the stomachs of prey leaves the cat vulnerable to a retaliatory kick. Another problem regarding belly bite strategies is that stomach bites using saber teeth only create shallow flesh wounds that create only superficial damage.
A bite to the throat meanwhile, allows the cat to sever the jugular veins, carotid arteries and trachea while simultaneously controlling and stifling the animal's movement without much risk of tooth breakage.
Smilodon's enormous canines were likely an adaptation for making swifter kills than modern cats. Such effective weapons allowed Smilodon to kill quickly and eat fast without fear of competitors stealing its hard-won meals.
Smilodon cubs have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits, and it is made clear from their dentition that they were born with teeth, not unlike hyenas, and that their milk sabers were serrated for eating portions of a carcass that adults could not. They also took three years to grow to full maturity, with their adult sabers growing in around one-and-a-half years of age.
Paleoecology[]
Smilodon was an inhabitant of relatively warm climates, and it was present throughout the warmer areas of the American continents during the Ice Age. Isotope ratio analysis indicates that Smilodon predominantly fed on ungulates such as camels, horses, and bison. However, mastodons, mammoths, ground sloths, and even the armored Glyptotherium were components on its menu.
Smilodon preferred heavily vegetated areas, and probably dwelled in forested habitat. In South America, Smilodon hunted such animals as Macrauchenia, Toxodon, and horses. Dire wolves, American lions, jaguars, Homotherium, and short-faced bears shared its range on both continents, creating intense competition.
Range[]
Smilodon evolved and most commonly lived in North America. When, in the Pliocene, North and South America finally came together and formed a land bridge, Smilodon was a part of the Great American Exchange; while commonly depicted as being the primary cause of the extinction of sparassodonts like Thylacosmilus and the phorusrhacids, Smilodon was not the cause for their extinction, as Smilodon gracilis lived alongside the phorusrhacid Titanis and Thylacosmilus died out four million years ago, well before Smilodon evolved.
Extinction[]
Its still unknown what caused the extinction of this genus, but a combination of climate change, possible competition with humans (though no evidence suggests this), and the extinction of the large animals it hunted may have contributed to its demise.
In the Media[]
Primeval's Smilodon
- The fifth episode of Walking with Beasts - As the Main Protagonist named Half-Tooth.
- It appears in The fourth episode of Prehistoric Park.
- It appeared in Wild New World aka Prehistoric America.
- Smilodon appears in ARK: Survival Evolved under 'Sabretooth'.
- It is shown in Ice Age Giants.
- It is shown in Ice Age 1 to 5 - As Diego and his congeners.
- It appears in Primeval (the second season).
- It appears in LEGO Legends of Chima Season 3
Ark: Survival Evolved Sabertooth
- Smilodon appeared in the video game Jurassic Park Builder.
- Smilodon appeared in Jurassic World: The Game, as a Legendary Cenozoic creature.
- Smilodon makes another appearance in the mobile game Jurassic World Alive, as an Epic Creature. Its fast speed and vicious attack stats make it a powerful and easy to use creature in the game. The game requires you to unlock 150 Smilodon DNA to get the animal.
- Smilodon made another appearance in the Netflix original documentary series, Life on Our Planet.
- Smilodon appears in Prehistoric Kingdom with skins for S. populator and S. fatalis.
Gallery[]
References[]
- https://www.britannica.com/animal/Smilodon
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/saber-tooth-cats-surprise-fossils-redraw-picture-of-big-cat
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220311135
- https://igws.indiana.edu/FossilsAndTime/Sabertooth
- https://geokansas.ku.edu/saber-toothed-cat-smilodon
- https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/extinctsaber-toothedcat/distribution
- https://www.cell.com/iscience/pdf/S2589-0042(20)31113-5.pdf
- https://www.gbif.org/species/144102537
- https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/laelaps/canada-gets-its-first-smilodon/
- https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/primitive-mammals/saber-toothed-cat
- http://eweb.furman.edu/~wworthen/bio440/evolweb/neogene/smilodon.htm
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/science/saber-toothed-tiger.html [Study about the extended size of Smilodon]
- http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/social-smilodon-fatalis-10223.html [Study about Smilodon's social behavior]
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/saber-toothed-cats-smilodon [Study about Smilodon's Social Behavior]
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99853-1
- https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-vertebrate-fossils/species/smilodon-fatalis/
- https://www.pnas.org/content/104/41/16010