Smilodon populator
|
|
| Smilodon populator Conservation status: Fossil | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||
| Smilodon populator |
Smilodon populator ("the Smilodon that brings devastation") was a species of sabretoothed cat or smilodon (formerly known as the sabretooth tiger). Smilodon populator first appeared in South America about 1 million years ago and became extinct about 10,000 years ago. It was much larger than its cousins, Smilodon fatalis and Smilodon gracilis, possessing a massive chest and front legs. This great cat stood 120 cm at the shoulder, larger than the largest modern cat, the Tiger.
The Smilodon populator likely hunted in groups, because of its large leg muscles and stocky posture, it could not run fast enough to catch prey, so it would travel with others in order to ambush small grass-dwelling animals. It would then restrain the animal with its large leg muscles, and fatally slice it at the throat with its saber teeth which were sometimes as large as 18 cm (7 inches) long. These large canines were rather fragile, and could not be used unless the prey was held down (this was almost undoubtedly the use of the heavily muscled forearms). Fossils have been found of several Smilodon populator in a close vicinity, with one grass-dwelling animal near them, which gives further proof for the social Smilodon theory.