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Smilodon fatalis Leidy, 1868

Saber-tooth tiger, Sabre-tooth cat, Sabertooth

 

 

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Synonym/s: Machairodus floridanus Leidy, 1889; Smilodon californicus Bovard (year?); Smilodon floridanus Leidy, 1889

 

Conservation Status

Extinct

Last record: Late Pleistocene

 

Distribution

Americas (including Mexico & New Mexico)

 

Biology & Ecology

 

 

Hypodigm

UF 4115 (right mandible)

 

Media

 

 

References

Original scientific description:

Leidy, J. (1868). Notice of some vertebrate remains from Harden Co., Texas. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 20:174-176.

 

Other references:

Akersten, W. (1985). Canine function in Smilodon (Mammalia; Felidae; Machairodontinae). Contributions in Science 356, 22 p.

Akersten, W. (2005). The role of incisors and forelimbs in the shear bite and feeding of Smilodon. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(3, Supplement):31A.

Anonymous. (1964). Fossil pit yields best treasure yet. Calgary Herald, September 10.

Anyonge, W. (1996). Microwear on canines and killing behavior in large carnivores: saber function in Smilodon fatalis. Journal of Mammalogy 77: 1059-1067. [Abstract]

Balisi, Mairin A. et al. (2020). Computed tomography reveals hip dysplasia in Smilodon: Implications for social behavior in an extinct Pleistocene predator. bioRxiv preprint. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.07.897348

Biknevicius, A. R., B. Van Valkenburgh, and J. Walker. (1996). Incisor size and shape: implications for feeding behaviors in saber-toothed “cats”. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 16(3): 510-521.

Binder, W., and B. Van Valkenburgh. (2010). A comparison of tooth wear and breakage in Rancho La Brea sabertooth cats and dire wolves across time. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(1): 255-261.

Bravo-Cuevas, Victor Manuel and Jiménez-Hidalgo, Eduardo. (2018). Advances on the Paleobiology of Late Pleistocene mammals from central and southern Mexico, pp. 277-313. In: Huard, Gaeten and Gareau, Jeannine (eds.). The Pleistocene: Geography, Geology, and Fauna. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Brown, Caitlin, Balisi, Mairin, Shaw, Christopher A. and Van Valkenburgh, Blaire. (2017). Skeletal trauma reflects hunting behaviour in extinct sabre-tooth cats and dire wolves. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1: 0131. [Abstract]

Carbone, C., T. Maddox, P. J. Funston, M. G. L. Mills, G. F. Grether and B. Van Valkenburgh. 2009. Parallels between playbacks and Pleistocene tar seeps suggest sociality in an extinct sabretooth cat, Smilodon. Biology Letters 5: 81-85.

Carlon, Burcu. (2014). Functional limb morphology of extinct carnivores Smilodon fatalis, Panthera atrox, and Canis dirus based on comparisons with four extant felids and one extant canid. Ph.D thesis, Northern Illinois University. [Abstract]

Christiansen, P. 2012. The making of a monster: postnatal ontogenetic changes in craniomandibular shape in the great sabercat Smilodon. PLoS ONE 7(1): e29699.

Christiansen, P., and J. M. Harris. 2005. Body size of Smilodon (Mammalia: Felidae). Journal of Morphology 266: 369-384.

Christiansen, P. and Harris, J. M. (2012). Variation in Craniomandibular Morphology and Sexual Dimorphism in Pantherines and the Sabercat Smilodon fatalis. PLoS ONE 7(10): e48352.

Churcher, C. S. (2019). Pleistocene Mammals From Extinction Cave, Belize. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. doi: https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2018-0178 [Abstract]

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Feranec, R. S. (2004). Isotopic evidence of saber-tooth development, growth rate, and diet from the adult canine of Smilodon fatalis from Rancho La Brea. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 206(3-4): 303-310.

Ferrusquía-Villafranca I., Arroyo-Cabrales J., Martínez-Hernández E., Gama-Castro J., Ruiz-González J., Polaco O.J., Johnson E. 2010 Pleistocene mammals of Mexico: A critical review of regional chronofaunas, climate change response and biogeographic provinciality. Quaternary International 217(1–2), 53-104.

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Haji-Sheikh, Misty and Naples, Virginia. (2021). Smilodon fatalis Bite Mechanisms: New Functional Considerations in Jaw and Articular Disk Reconstruction. The FASEB Journal 35(S1). https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2021.35.S1.02525 [Abstract]

Haji-Sheikh, Misty, Naples, Virginia L. and Haji-Sheikh, Michael. (2022). An Enterprise in 3-D Printed Smilodon fatalis Mandible Reconstruction: Experimentation Where No Fossil or Cast Has Gone Before. The FASEB Journal 36(S1). https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.S1.0R278

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Manzuetti, Aldo, Perea, Daniel, Ubilla, Martín and Rinderknecht, Andrés. (2018). First record of Smilodon fatalis Leidy, 1868 (Felidae, Machairodontinae) in the extra-Andean region of South America (late Pleistocene, Sopas Formation), Uruguay: Taxonomic and paleobiogeographic implications. Quaternary Science Reviews 180: 57-62. [Abstract]

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Meachen-Samuels, J. and Van Valkenburgh, B. (2010). Radiographs reveal exceptional forelimb strength in the sabertooth cat, Smilodon fatalis. PLoS ONE 5: 1-6.

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Young, Emma. (2008). Bearlike superpredator terrorised early humans. New Scientist 198(2654): 15. [Abstract]

Extinct, tv show, season 1, episode 2, "The Sabre Tooth Cat", originally aired 2 October 2001, see here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297556/episodes?ref_=tt_ep_epl

http://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/11146/smilodon-fatalis-populator

 

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