Animals of the past saber-toothed tiger. Saber-toothed tiger. Description, features, habitat of saber-toothed tigers. Smilodon was not the only genus of saber-toothed cats

The saber-toothed tiger is a giant among cats. For several million years, he dominated the territory of America, disappeared quite suddenly almost 10 thousand years ago. The true causes of extinction have not been established. Today there are no animals that can be safely attributed to his descendants.

Only one thing is known with reliable accuracy - the beast 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, evidence of a close relationship between predators could not be found.

Genus 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. The tropical climate with little fluctuations in temperature and lush vegetation favored the general flourishing of mammals. Predators of the Paleogene period rapidly multiplied, did not experience a shortage of food.

The Pleistocene that replaced the Paleogene was characterized by a harsher climate with alternating glaciations and periods of slight warming. Saber-toothed cats adapted well to the new habitat, they felt great. The distribution area of ​​animals captured South and North America.

At the end of the last ice age, the climate became drier and warmer. Prairie appeared where there used to be impenetrable forests. Most of the megafauna could not withstand climatic changes and died out, the remaining animals moved to open spaces, learned to run fast, and evade pursuit.

Having lost their usual prey, predators could not switch to smaller animals. Features of the constitution of the beast - short paws and a short tail, a bulky body made it clumsy and inactive. He could not maneuver, pursue the victim for a long time.

Long fangs made it difficult to catch small animals, they broke during an unsuccessful attempt to grab the victim, sticking into the ground instead of it. It is quite possible that it was because of the famine that the period of saber-toothed tigers ended and there is no need to look for other explanations.

Kinds

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

paleontological finds

In 1841, the first report of a saber-toothed tiger appeared in the fossil record. In the state of Minas - Geiras in eastern Brazil, where the Danish paleontologist and naturalist Peter Wilhelm Lund excavated, fossil remains were found. The scientist studied and described in detail the relics, systematized the facts and singled out the beast in a separate genus.

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

Animals went to the watering hole, and fell into a deadly trap. One had only to step into the fetid slurry and the legs themselves stuck to its surface. Under the weight of their body, 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 easy prey for predators, but making their way to it, they themselves found themselves in a trap.

In the middle of the last century, people began to extract asphalt from the lake and unexpectedly discovered many well-preserved remains of animals buried alive there. 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 old animals, already taught by bitter experience, bypassed this place.

Scientists from the University of California took up the study of the remains. With the help of a tomograph, the structure of the teeth and bone density were established, a number of genetic and biochemical studies were carried out. The skeleton of a saber-toothed cat was restored in great detail. Modern computer technology has helped to recreate the image of the animal and even calculate the strength of its bite.

Appearance

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

• Body length 2.5 meters, height at the withers 100 - 125 cm.
• An unusually short tail had a length of 20 - 30 cm. Such an anatomical feature made it impossible for predators to run fast. When turning at high speed, they could not maintain balance, maneuver and simply fell.
• The weight of the beast reached 160 - 240 kg. Large individuals from the species Smilodon populator exceeded in weight and had a body weight of 400 kg.
  The predator was distinguished by a powerful wrestling physique, 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 ones, wide feet end in sharp retractable claws. The saber-toothed cat could easily grab the enemy with its front paws and that there is urine to knock him to the ground.
• The skull of the saber-toothed tiger was 30 - 40 cm long. 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. The special fastening of muscles and tendons allowed the predator to press the 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 squeezed from the sides, well honed at the very ends, pointed in front and behind, and had serrated teeth. The unusual structure allowed the fangs to damage the thick skin of animals and bite through the flesh, but deprived them of strength. When hitting the victim's bones, the fangs could easily break, so the success of the hunt always depended on the right direction and accuracy of the strike.
• 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 possible that in the Paleogene period, the wool had a sandy-yellow hue, and in 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 in social groups, which included three or four females, several males and juveniles. It is possible that the number of females and males was the same. By hunting together, the animals could catch larger game, which means they could provide themselves with more food.

These assumptions are confirmed by paleontological finds - often several cat skeletons were found in one herbivore skeleton. An animal weakened by injuries and diseases, with such a lifestyle, could always count on a part 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 has specialized in hunting thick-skinned animals. Having fangs capable of piercing their thick skin, during the ice ages, he staged a real terror. A small tail did not allow the beast to develop high speed and hunts fast-running game, so clumsy, massive herbivorous mammals became its victims.

The ancient saber-toothed tiger used cunning tricks and got as close to prey as possible. The victim was almost always taken by surprise, swiftly attacked and used real wrestling techniques at the same time. Due to the special structure of the paws and the well-developed muscles of the anterior shoulder girdle, the animal could hold the animal in a motionless state for a long time, thrusting its sharp claws into it and tearing the skin and flesh.

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

The swiftness and accuracy of the attack, the minimum of noise during the attack increased the chances of the saber-toothed cat to eat its trophy on its own. Otherwise, larger predators and packs of wolves ran to the battlefield - and here they already had to fight not only for their prey, but also for their own lives.

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

There is no reliable information about the reproduction and nursing 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 animal is also not known.

1. A giant fossil saber-toothed cat may well be cloned by genetic engineering in the not too distant future. Scientists hope to isolate material suitable for the DNA experiment from the remains preserved in the permafrost. The proposed egg donor is an African lioness.
2. A lot of popular science films and cartoons have been shot about saber-toothed tigers. The most famous of them are "Ice Age" (one of the main characters of the cartoon is the good-natured smilodon Diego), "Walking with Monsters", "Prehistoric Predators". They touch upon interesting facts from the life of Smilodons, reconstruct the events of bygone days.
3. Predators in their habitat did not have serious competitors. Megatheria (giant sloths) posed a certain danger to them. It is possible that they not only ate vegetation, but also were 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.

Most of us are used to the company of pets. Many, in order to brighten up their leisure time, give birth to small and fluffy animals from But hardly anyone thinks about their similarity with predators that died out about 70 million years ago called saber-toothed cats.

habitats

The extinct species flourished in the territories of African lands, and also inhabited the Eurasian and North American continents during the early and middle Miocene. One of its earliest representatives - Pseudaelurus quadridentatus - is considered the founder of the evolutionary development of the species.

During the late Miocene, the saber-toothed cat shared territories with the carnivorous barburofelis, which also had sharp front fangs. The last remnants of the species and its representatives disappear without a trace from the Earth about 10 thousand years ago. More of their population on the planet did not meet.

The evolution of saber-toothed cats

Since this representative of the animal world disappeared from the face of the Earth a very long time ago, most of the knowledge about him is the guesswork of scientists. But with the development of genetics, it is possible to discover more and more interesting facts about extinct species. By studying the finds of archaeologists, you can create a certain image and at least learn a little about these mysterious creatures.

Scientists suggest that the saber-toothed cat in habits and hunting was very similar to tigers, although it was never part of this family. could not prove that the animals had a brindle coloration in the form of stripes and fluffy fur. Also, there was no evidence confirming the similarity of the habits of ancient cats with modern species, so such statements can only be considered as assumptions.

DNA-based scientific research conducted in 2005 confirms the separation of the subfamily "saber-toothed cats" from the great ancestors of our pets, but does not link it to the current species of cats.

Scientists consider the well-known saber-toothed tiger, which did not belong to the representatives in the Ice Age, to be a characteristic representative of this fossil group. In the scientific world, his name is smilodon, which is translated from Latin as "destroyer".

Smilodon: description of the species

Smilodon is the last member of the saber-toothed cat subfamily. The photo of the animal layout is amazing:

• huge, up to 20 centimeters fangs;
• height at the withers reaches a meter and 20 cm;
• body length is more than two meters;
• weight is almost 500 kg.

Such characteristics make these animals the kings of vast territories. The tail alone was 30-35 centimeters long. The stocky physique made the appearance of Smilodon atypical for felines. Only cave and not inferior to him in size.

There is no doubt that the animal was a predator. Few people could survive if a saber-toothed cat went hunting. Photos of the individual and its complete skeleton were taken by scientists during excavations in France.

Existing together with other representatives of the animal world, cats competed for places of hunting and living with:

• cheetahs and panthers in African lands;
• cougars, lions, jaguars in America.

Appearance

Predators were distinguished by conical and saber-toothed fangs. The structure of the jaw of Smilodon was such that it allowed the animal to open its mouth up to 95 °, modern representatives of feline predators are able to do this by no more than 65 °. The bare, curved teeth were sharp like blades. In length, they reached 20 cm. The mighty beast was able to hunt other animals that were larger than it. This is what a saber-toothed cat looks like, whose appearance frightened the inhabitants of the American continent two million years ago.

The jaws of the animal, designed to kill, put the beast in a number of dangerous predators. He had no equal opponents.

A powerful chest and a quarter of the weight of a large lion allowed animals to compete for habitats not only with each other, but also with a short-faced bear, no less strong and hardy animal. Huge size, a body consisting of strong muscles, teeth-knives allowed the predator to hunt the largest representatives of the fauna of that time - mammoths.

Scientists agree that it is impossible to compare an animal with a lion. Yes, the dimensions of his body are commensurate with the dimensions, but the structure of the addition, the proportions of the forms and the massiveness of the front paws against the background of short hind legs do not allow such a comparison.

The muscular neck and bite force allowed the animal, grabbing prey, to knock it down and tear it apart with its claws. In the scientific world, there is still debate about how the saber-toothed cat was painted. The predator, in all likelihood, did not have the traditional tiger stripes. Most likely, his skin was decorated with dark spots.

prehistoric finds

Scientists cannot name the true reasons why such an adapted species of predators, which has all the data for survival, suddenly disappeared from the face of the Earth. Only the fossilized remains of their bones and characteristic teeth remind of an animal called a saber-toothed cat. Finds on the grounds of Los Angeles called "Magic Mile" amaze the modern world with artifacts of prehistoric America.

The lakes and reservoirs of the region emit frightening vapors, and tar vapors emerge from the bowels of the earth. It was in this place that archaeologists were lucky to find the remains of the bones of this animal and many other extinct predators. Resin puddles, disguised in the thick of the forest, became dangerous for many representatives of the animal world. Covered with leaves and broken branches, they formed huge traps. Herbivores bogged down in them, thereby attracting predators, who were waiting for the same fate.

Excavations in the La Brea districts have yielded up to one thousand Smilodon bones, making their number unique. The asphalt and tar filling of the lakes has become a good preservative material. The bones are in excellent shape. Scientists were able to get an idea of ​​​​what saber-toothed cats looked like from them. Photos of fossils found can be found in anthropological museums.

It should be noted that bones of a short-faced bear and a wolf were found among the remains of the Ice Age. These are the direct ancestors of the predators living on our planet today. But the saber-toothed cat did not leave behind any descendants. At the moment, not a single species of direct heirs of Smilodon, Machairod and other species of saber-toothed cats has been found.

Behavioral features

Based on the appearance, the saber-toothed cat, whose behavior was distinguished by aggressiveness, could not move too fast. This is due to the short tail, which does not allow keeping the body in an upright position during a rapid run. Most likely, the animal hid in ambush, waiting for the victim, and swiftly attacked it.

At the dawn of the Pleistocene period, herds of herbivores were huge. It was not difficult for predators to get their own food. Some herbivores were gigantic in size, which did not allow the cat to hunt alone. It is likely that in such a situation predators hunted in packs. During excavations near the bones of one herbivore, several ossified remains of saber-toothed tigers were found.

Flock Care

The fact that the remains of one tiger had serious injuries that did not allow it to hunt alone indicates the possibility of individuals living in packs, where even a wounded animal could exist at the expense of hunting by others.

The natural and preferred dish for any predator is meat. Smilodons can be classified as hypercarnivores. The protein of horses and bison was found in the remains of their bones.

Why do they have such teeth?

The question of the presence of teeth in a predator did not give scientists rest. After all, a lion does not need saber teeth to hunt. To this end, scientists conducted an experiment that recreated the force of a cat bite. It turned out that it is almost two times lower than that of a lion. It turns out that in modern lions, the bite force determines the size of the victim.

The teeth of a prehistoric individual had deadly power if used back and forth. Movement from side to side could easily damage them, simply breaking them. When the fang got stuck in the body of the victim, it easily broke. With the loss of a tooth, the possibility of a fruitful hunt was halved, and this threatened death from starvation.

The hypothesis that the wounded animals could be eaten by their own members of the pack, scientists do not confirm, but do not reject either. Perhaps this property of the teeth did not make it possible for representatives of the species to survive to this day. But this is a question for scientists.

Scary but popular

The sight of a prehistoric predator, even created from the remains of a skeleton, causes a slight shiver. However, saber-toothed cats have become popular not only in the world of artifact finds. The image of a strong, insidious representative of the ice age was created by animators in the film of the same name. His images appeared on children's T-shirts, stickers and backpacks. Animal figurines could be found in the toy store.

We want to associate everything unknown and beyond our control with the features of conditional nobility. Of course, the saber-toothed tiger is an invention of artists, but to create its image on the screen, the masters of the genre used and took into account the features of the skeleton of an animal that actually lived on Earth millions of years ago. Even watching a cartoon character, one can note his predatory independence and independence.

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

Who are saber-toothed tigers

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

By the way, they never belonged to tigers. They probably didn't even have a striped color.

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

Saber tooth period

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

The predecessors of big cats began to rapidly develop upper fangs, 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 the Smilodons 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 lived in groups, then the latter consisted of the same number of males and females.

Description of appearance and habits

There is no reliable information about the appearance of animals, because conclusions about how the saber-toothed tiger looked were made exclusively 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 Smilodons with its brilliance. As a result, they died, being unable to withstand the liquid asphalt from the lake.

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

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

The paws of the smilodons were short. With them, the cats clamped the victim and dug their twenty-centimeter fangs into the poor thing's throat. 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 did not have great endurance, mainly due to their massive build. However, no one was inferior to them in the speed of reaction. It is terrible to imagine what it was like for people who lived in the same territory and at the same time with these ferocious predators.

Where did they live, how and who did they hunt?

Smilodon habitats

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

Food and hunting

Smilodons ate only animal food.

Their diet included antelopes, bison, horses, deer and even young mammoths. Sometimes predatory animals also ate carrion.

Females were the main hunters.

They always went 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 smilodons and modern tigers.

Smilodon competitors

Competitors of the saber-toothed cat in America were birds of prey of the fororacos family and giant sloths megatheria, whose weight sometimes reached 4 tons.

In North America, these predators were threatened by cave lions, bears, and wolves.

Reasons for the extinction of smilodons

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

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

Modern descendants of saber-toothed tigers

Clouded leopards are indirect descendants of saber-toothed tigers.

However, from the large twenty-centimeter fangs, only three-centimeter ones remained, from the fierce look - beautiful eyes.

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

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

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

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

This is a complex, costly 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 wealth, because every hour as many as 3 species of living creatures disappear on our planet. And whether representatives of the Red Book will survive in the future is up to us to decide.

Saber-toothed tigers are formidable and dangerous predators of the cat family, completely extinct in ancient times. A distinctive feature of these animals were the upper fangs of impressive size, shaped like sabers. What is known about saber-toothed cats by modern scientists? Were these animals tigers? What did they look like, how did they get used to living, and why did they disappear? Let's fast forward through the thickness of the centuries - to those times when huge ferocious cats, going hunting, confidently walked the planet with the gait of true animal kings ...

Cat or tiger?

First of all, it should be noted that the term "saber-toothed tigers", which seems so familiar, is actually incorrect.

Biological science knows the subfamily of saber-toothed cats (Machairodontinae). However, these ancient animals have very little in common with tigers. In the first and second, the proportions and structure of the body differ significantly, the lower jaws are connected to the skull in different ways. In addition, the striped "brindle" coloring is not typical for any of the saber-toothed cats. Their way of life is also different from that of tigers: paleontologists suggest that these animals were not loners, living and hunting in prides, like lions.

However, since the term "saber-toothed tigers" is used almost everywhere, and even in the scientific literature, we will also use this beautiful allegory below.

Tribes of saber-toothed cats

Until 2000, the subfamily of saber-toothed cats, or machairodonts (Machairodontinae), united three large tribes.

Representatives of the first tribe, Machairodontini (sometimes also called Homoterini), are distinguished by exceptionally large upper fangs, wide and serrated on the inside. When hunting, predators relied more on the impact of this crushing "weapon" than on the bite. The smallest cats of the Machairod tribe were commensurate with a small modern leopard, the largest exceeded the size of a very large tiger.

The saber-toothed tigers of the second tribe, Smilodontini, are characterized by longer upper canine teeth, but they were much narrower and not as serrated as those of the Machairods. Their downward fangs attack was the most deadly and perfect among the representatives of all saber-toothed cats. As a rule, smilodons were the size of an Amur tiger or lion, but the American species of this predator has the glory of the largest saber-toothed cat in history.

The third tribe, Metailurini, is the most ancient. That is why the teeth of these animals are, as it were, a "transitional stage" between the fangs of ordinary and saber-toothed cats. It is believed that they separated from other machairodonts quite early, and their evolution took place somewhat differently. Due to the rather weak expression of the "saber-toothed" signs, representatives of this tribe began to be attributed directly to the cats, considering them "small cats", or "pseudo-saber-toothed". Since 2000, this tribe is no longer included in the subfamily of interest to us.

Saber tooth period

Saber-toothed cats inhabited the Earth for quite a long time - more than twenty million years, appearing for the first time in the early Miocene and finally disappearing in the late Pleistocene period. During all this time, they gave rise to many genera and species, significantly differing in appearance and size. However, hypertrophied upper fangs (in some species they could reach more than twenty centimeters in length) and the ability to open their mouths very widely (sometimes even one hundred and twenty degrees!) Traditionally made up their common features.

Where did saber-toothed cats live?

These animals were characterized by an ambush attack. Having pressed the victim to the ground with powerful front paws or dug into her throat, the saber-toothed tiger instantly cut her carotid artery and trachea. The accuracy of the bite was the main weapon of this predator - after all, fangs stuck in the bones of prey could break. Such a mistake would be fatal for an unfortunate predator, depriving him of the ability to hunt and thereby dooming him to death.

Why did saber-toothed cats become extinct?

During the Pleistocene, or "Ice Age", which spanned the period from two million to twenty-five to ten thousand years ago, many large mammals gradually disappeared - cave bears, woolly rhinos, giant sloths, mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. Why did this happen?

During the period of glacial cooling, many plants rich in proteins, which served as the usual food for giant herbivores, died out. At the end of the Pleistocene period, the climate on the planet became warmer and much drier. The forests were gradually replaced by open grassy prairies, but the new vegetation, adapted to the changed conditions, did not have the nutritional value of the former. Herbivorous sloths and mammoths gradually died out, not finding enough food. Accordingly, there were fewer animals that could be hunted by predators. The saber-toothed tiger, an ambush hunter for big game, turned out to be a hostage to the current situation. The structural features of its jaw apparatus did not allow it to prey on small animals, its massive build and short tail did not make it possible to catch up with fast-footed prey in open areas, which were becoming more numerous. The changed conditions led to the fact that the ancient tigers with saber fangs did not get a chance to survive. Slowly, but inexorably, all the varieties of these animals that exist in nature disappeared from the face of the Earth.

Without exception, all saber-toothed cats are completely extinct animals that did not leave direct descendants.

Machairods

Of all the representatives of saber-toothed cats known to science, it was the mahairod that most of all resembled a tiger. In nature, there were several types of mahairods, which had significant differences in appearance, but they were united by jagged edges of long upper fangs, shaped like "mahairs" - curved swords.

These ancient animals appeared in Eurasia about fifteen million years ago, and two million years have passed since their disappearance. The weight of the largest representatives of this tribe reached half a ton, and in size they were quite commensurate with modern horses. Archaeologists are convinced that the machairod was the largest wild cat of its time. Hunting large herbivores - rhinos and elephants, these animals quite successfully competed with other large predators of their time, dire wolves and cave bears. Mahairods became the "progenitors" of a more perfect species of saber-toothed cats - Homotheres.

Homotheria

It is believed that these saber-toothed cats appeared about five million years ago at the turn of the Miocene and Pleistocene. They were distinguished by a more slender physique, vaguely resembling a modern lion. However, their hind legs were somewhat shorter than their front ones, which gave these predators some resemblance to a hyena. The upper fangs of Homotheres were shorter and wider than those of Smilodon - representatives of another tribe of saber-toothed cats that inhabited the Earth in parallel with them. Along with this, the presence of a large number of notches on the fangs allowed scientists to conclude that these animals were capable of delivering not only chopping, but also cutting blows.

Compared with other saber-toothed cats, Homotherium had a very high endurance, was adapted to long (though not fast) running and crossing long distances. There are suggestions that these now extinct animals led a solitary lifestyle. However, most researchers are still inclined to believe that Homotheres hunted in groups like other saber-toothed cats, since it was easier to kill stronger and larger prey this way.

Smilodons

Compared to other saber-toothed cats that the ancient animal world of Earth knew, Smilodon had a more powerful physique. The largest representative of saber-toothed cats - the smilodon populist that lived on the American continent - grew up to one hundred and twenty-five centimeters high at the withers, and its length from nose to tail could be two and a half meters. The fangs of this beast (together with the roots) reached twenty-nine centimeters in length!

Smilodon lived and hunted in prides, which included one or two dominant males, several females and young. The coloration of these animals could well be spotted, like a leopard. It is also possible that the males had a short mane.

Many scientific reference books and fiction contain information about smilodon, he acts as a character in films ("Jurassic Portal", "Prehistoric Park") and cartoons ("Ice Age"). Perhaps this is the most famous animal of all, which are commonly called saber-toothed tigers.

Clouded leopard - a modern descendant of the saber-toothed tiger

Today it is considered that indirect, but the closest relative of Smilodon is the clouded leopard. It belongs to the subfamily Pantherinae (panther cats), within which it is allocated to the genus Neofelis.

Its body is quite massive and compact at the same time - these features were also inherent in saber-toothed cats of antiquity. Among the representatives of modern cats, this beast has the longest fangs (both upper and lower) relative to its own size. In addition, the jaws of this predator are able to open 85 degrees, which is much more than any other modern cat.

Not being a direct descendant of saber-toothed cats, the clouded leopard is a clear proof that the method of hunting with the use of deadly "fangs-sabers" may well be used by a predator in modern times.

Saber-toothed tigers are predators of the cat family, which completely died out in ancient times. Cats are formidable and dangerous, the distinguishing feature of which was very large upper fangs, similar in appearance to sabers. What is known today about these extinct animals, how they looked, what habits they had and why they disappeared, we will consider further.

The evolution of the genus

These animals are referred to to the cat family and subfamily of saber-toothed cats (genus Smilodon - dagger tooth). The first representatives of the genus appeared in the distant period of the Paleogene, about 2.5 million years ago. A favorable tropical climate, with little change in temperature and green vegetation contributed to the flourishing of saber-toothed cats. During this period, they actively multiplied without feeling the need for food.

The next period is the Pleistocene, a time of more severe weather conditions, which is due to the alternation of warming with glaciation. Saber-toothed tigers perfectly adapted to these climatic conditions and felt quite well. The area of ​​distribution of predators is North and South America.

The end of the last ice age is characterized by a dry and warm climate. On the territory where there used to be impenetrable forests, prairies appeared. Most of the fauna could not adapt to such a harsh climate and died out. More persistent animals began to move to open and large places, learned to deftly avoid predators and move quickly.

Saber-toothed cats lose their usual food, predators have not been able to switch to small prey. The peculiarity of the structure of the beast - a large body, short tail and paws made it inactive and clumsy. He could not chase a small animal for a long time.

Long fangs also made it very difficult to catch small animals. When trying to capture, they stuck into the ground, and sometimes even broke. Famine set in, perhaps for this reason the saber-toothed tigers died out.

Appearance and lifestyle

The description of what a saber-toothed cat looked like is very relative. The image that scientists have created is very conditional. Outwardly, the saber-toothed tiger is completely different from other feline representatives. The proportions are similar to those of a bear, large fangs make the predator unique in its kind.

Appearance

The dimensions of an ancient cat are comparable to those of a large lion:

Behavior and lifestyle

saber-toothed cat- an ancient representative of the cat, so its behavior does not resemble the behavior of modern cats. Perhaps the predators lived in small packs, which included several males, females and young animals. The number of males and females was the same. To feed themselves, they hunted together, so they could overwhelm larger prey.

These assumptions were confirmed archaeologically - one herbivore had several saber-toothed cats nearby. But the theory is not ruled out that predators were not distinguished by nobility and ate their sick fellow tribesman.

The anatomical structure of the cat's body says that the beast could not develop high speed, therefore, when hunting, it sat in ambush, waiting for prey. And only after that he quickly and sharply forged it. The herds of herbivores in the Pleistocene period were extensive. It was easy for saber-toothed tigers to get their own food.

The main food of saber-toothed tigers is meat. In their skeletal remains, the protein of bison and horses was found.

Extinct members of the genus

Often saber-toothed cats are called a large number of species that differed in the same large fangs. In many cats, fangs appeared as a result of adaptation to changing environmental conditions. With a more detailed study, you can find differences from real saber-toothed tigers. Consider the well-known representatives of saber-toothed cats.

Machairods

This species of saber-toothed cat, which is known to scientists and most like a tiger. In ancient times, there were several types. They differed from each other in appearance, in size, but they were united by one thing - the upper large fangs, shaped like curved sabers.

These ancient predators first appeared in Eurasia, some 15 million years ago. The largest individuals reached 500 kg, and their size approached the size of a modern horse. Scientists are sure that these extinct cats were the largest representatives of cats. They hunted large animals, such as elephants and rhinos. Like all predators of that period, they could compete with other carnivorous animals, with wolves and cave bears. Mahairods are considered the progenitors of a better species of saber-toothed tigers - Homotheres.

Homotheria

It is believed that these saber-toothed cats appeared 5 million years ago, at the turn of the Miocene and Pleistocene. They are characterized by a more proportional physique, vaguely reminiscent of a modern lion. The front legs were much longer than the hind legs. Therefore, outwardly, predators look like hyenas. The front canine teeth were shorter but wider than those of other saber-toothed cats. At the same time, the fangs are strongly serrated, so the scientists concluded that these predators not only delivered chopping blows, but also performed cutting actions.

These saber-toothed cats were more hardy than their other cousins. Homotheres could move for a long time - run, albeit slowly. There is a theory that these extinct tigers lived alone. But this opinion has not gained popularity, since many scientists believe that all saber-toothed cats hunted large prey in packs.

Smilodons

Compared to other types of saber-toothed cats, smilodons were distinguished by a powerful and muscular physique. Smilodon populator- the most massive representative of saber-toothed tigers:

• height at the withers - 125 cm, and the length from the tip of the tail to the nose could reach 250 cm;
• the length of the fangs from tip to root reached 30 cm.

They hunted in a pack, where the leader was always present, who directed the rest. Presumably, the color of the predator's coat was spotted, like that of a modern leopard. But scientists also believe that the males had a small mane. It is not difficult to get information about smilodons, it can be found in reference books, fiction. Often these predators act as characters in films and cartoons (Ice Age, Prehistoric Park, Jurassic Portal). Perhaps these are the most famous representatives of ancient tigers.

Modern descendant

Many scientists are inclined to believe that clouded leopard- a modern descendant of saber-toothed tigers. This leopard is not a direct descendant, but at the same time a close relative. The clouded leopard belongs to the panther cat subfamily.

The body of the animal is massive, compact, which is typical for more ancient representatives of saber-toothed cats. When compared with modern individuals, the smoky leopard fangs are the longest (both lower and upper). The jaws of this predator open to 85 degrees, which is much more than any modern predatory cat.

This leopard is not a direct descendant of saber-toothed tigers, but he is a vivid example of the fact that ancient cats easily hunted with the help of saber fangs.

Saber-toothed cats are a unique creation of nature, which, even after disappearing from the planet, make them admire, be horrified and surprised, putting forward various theories and hypotheses about their past life.