Evolution

Saber-toothed cats appeared in the early or middle Miocene in Africa. An early member of the subfamily Pseudaelurus quadridentatus tended towards larger upper canine teeth, and was probably at the heart of the evolution of saber-toothed cats. The earliest known genus 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 homoteria ( 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 felines can only open their mouths 65 degrees. In terms of body structure, saber-toothed cats were stronger and less graceful than modern cats. Many had relatively short tails, similar to those 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 smilodons (a species Smilodon populator- the largest representative of saber-toothed cats) or homoteria, belonged to megafauna.

Taxonomy

Saber-toothed cats were originally divided into three tribes. One of them was a tribe Metailurini, which included extinct genera 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, finds of mammoth skeletons next to the remains of the species Homotherium serum may indicate this. The function of the characteristic long teeth is still a matter of controversy. Perhaps they were used to inflict deep stab and lacerations on large prey, from which they bled. Critics of such a hypothesis claim that the teeth would not withstand the load characteristic of this and would break off. Therefore, they suggest that saber-toothed cats used their teeth to simultaneously gnaw through the carotid artery and trachea of ​​prey that fell to the ground. This theory is also supported by very strong front legs in species such as smilodons, which were needed in order to press prey to the ground and inflict accurate deadly bite. There is also a version that long teeth served as an ornament and attracted relatives during mating rituals, since elongated fangs reduce the width of the bite, although in this case, most likely, there would be sexual dimorphism.

Distribution and finds

Smilodon skull

The remains of saber-toothed cats have been found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. The age of the oldest finds is dated 20 million years. In Europe, saber-toothed cats, represented by homotheria, 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, Homotheres and Smilodons disappeared almost simultaneously about 10,000 years ago. In Africa and South Asia, the last saber-toothed megantherion cats died out much earlier - about 500 thousand years ago.

convergent taxa

The term "saber-toothed cats" is often used to refer to a large number of species that only have similar long fangs. Most of them acquired them in the course of their adaptation to external environment and hunting conditions for prey, but a closer look reveals large differences between them, especially when compared with real saber-toothed cats.

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

The second acquired similar fangs tilakosmila. Thylacosmils lived in South America before its reunification with North America and played the role of lions in the local ecosystem. They are especially distinguished from all mammals that had saber fangs. The peculiarity of these predators was that they were marsupials, therefore they are also called marsupial saber-toothed tigers. Despite some similarity with smilodon, these animals belong to a completely different detachment: their fangs grew all their lives and had simply huge roots that reached the frontal part. The lower jaw had sheath-like "vanes" (probably to protect the fangs when the mouth was closed). The thilacosmilas died out shortly after the reunification of the Americas - it is believed that they could not withstand the competition from the cats that came from the north.

Another detachment with large fangs were creodonts. True, the fangs of the maheroids related to them were much shorter and smaller than those of even average saber-toothed cats, in contrast to the powerful and long jaws. This detachment included in particular hyaenodons. Creodonts became extinct by the Miocene.

The fourth was the extinct Nimravid family. Outwardly, they resembled smilodons, although they were not their relatives. In terms of body structure, skull and fangs, real saber-toothed cats and nimravids are very similar, but in fact they are another example of convergent evolution. Nimravids originated 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 another suborder of felids. Real saber-toothed cats were much larger, stronger, and their teeth were much longer - there were only a few exceptions.

Fifth was the barburofelidae, another extinct family of feline predators. They arose in the early Miocene in Africa and survived until its end. Previously, scientists ranked them as a subfamily of nimravids, but today they are separated into a separate family. The longest fangs of them were barburofelis. Outwardly, they were similar to ancient cats, but unlike saber-toothed ones, they had less developed incisors, smaller eye sockets, and the lower jaws also had a “sheath”, like those of thilacosmils.

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

In popular culture

Saber-toothed cats are very often depicted in various works about the life of primitive people, although in reality most of their species died out long before the appearance 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 Smilodon pride was used as antagonists. In the fourth film, Diego has a girlfriend - Smilodon Shira.
  • John is one of the main characters in the animated series " Dinofroz, capable of transforming into a smilodon. Outwardly, it is very different from real saber-toothed cats.
  • In the movie Sabertooth, a saber-toothed tiger was cloned, which began to hunt people.
  • Saber-toothed tigers are ferocious predators that lay 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.
  • Primitive people, Un and Zur, fought with mahairods in their wanderings in the novel by J. A. Roni Sr. cave lion"(1 part and epilogue). In the preceding novel, The Fight for Fire, mahairod is only mentioned in passing.
  • Large saber-tooths, called "saber tigers" or "saber lions", were seen by Russian travelers in underworld- Plutonium, - where both modern and long-extinct animals of different geological periods existed on the outer surface of the Earth (science fiction novel "Plutonia" by V. A. Obruchev).
  • Smilodon hunted people in the 3rd and 7th episodes of the 2nd season of the television series " Jurassic Portal". Here they are larger than they actually were. (We will consider this a feature of the main reality of the universe of the television series.)
  • Grune the Destroyer - an antagonist in the 11th episode of the animated series " thunder cats» (1985), the ghost of a saber-toothed tiger, one of the thunder cats.
  • The feltooth is a smilodon creature, an antagonist in the 1st and 2nd episodes of the 2nd season of the Grimm television series, an ogre and a professional killer. A drawing with him flashes in the opening screensaver of the 4th and 5th seasons.
  • Saber-toothed tigers, mammoths, vultures and ice bears are ice clans, antagonists in the 3rd season of the animated series The 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 the 1st season.
  • Saber-toothed tigers are one of the positive characters in the animated series " Max. Dinoterra"(series 11 "Heart of the Volcano", 12 "Old Friend", 13 " dark forest”), the ancestors of lions and tigers.
  • Zabu (eng. Zabu) is Ka-Zar's saber-toothed tiger companion in the Marvel Universe.
  • Kitty (eng. Baby Puss) - a saber-toothed cat in the animated series The Flintstones (in the closing credits, he puts Fred Flintstone out the door). Saber-toothed tigers are mentioned several times, such as saber-toothed milk in episode 4 and a saber-toothed tiger fur cape in episode 10 of season 1.
  • At the end of Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Zenobia, the main villain in the film, attacks the main characters in the form of a Smilodon.
  • Hena - Another Dark One from the Watch universe, a werewolf capable of transforming into a smilodon. He communicated with wild Smilodon when they were not yet extinct. In the third chapter of the novel by V. N. Vasilyev, “The Face of Black Palmyra” appears as an observer from the Inquisition.
  • Sharp Fang is a tame saber-toothed tiger cub of the werecat Toralei Stripe, a character in Monster High.
  • In the cartoon Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, the villains used animal robots ( bats, wolves and saber-toothed tigers). One of the tigers was reprogrammed, and he went over to the side of the positive characters.
  • Saber-toothed tiger appears in the movie 10,000 BC. He was rescued from a trap by the protagonist D'Leh, after which he himself saved D'Leh, frightening the warriors of the African tribe.
  • Lord of the Cats (

Saber-toothed cats are a phrase no-no, and an attack of dark horror will stir up somewhere in the depths of our nature. Who knows, perhaps such feelings are not produced by modern horror films, but by vague "memories" at the gene level - after all, these terrible animals lived on the planet for quite a long time next to our ancestors and did not deny themselves the pleasure of eating human flesh.

Monsters from the dark past

The last saber-toothed cats on Earth died out ten thousand years ago. Therefore, we know little about them for sure and can only build versions - both about their life and about mysterious disappearance from the face of the planet. But in themselves, these versions are very interesting.

The Cenozoic era began with the extinction of giant lizards, and evolution, roughly speaking, was looking for a replacement for them. Size still mattered - but no longer the main thing and not a priority. Therefore, mammals have come to the fore in the development of the animal world - including, of course, ancient predators, how could it be without them ...

Satiated saber-toothed sloth "graze" their food

History of an extinct genus

Paleontologists believe that the first saber-toothed cats appeared in Africa about twenty-five million years ago - in the early or middle Miocene. The "pioneers" of this group looked rather modest and did not strike the imagination as much as its later representatives. The prehistoric ancestors of feline predators were not giants at first, and they gradually had the famous fangs of the industry, in the process of evolution.

It is interesting that it was the African continent that became the cradle of many earthly forms life, including human life. And two tens of millions of years ago, the era of the great cat tribe also started here, represented at that time by only a few species of animals - so, in any case, scientists say.

The emergence of predatory mammals has accelerated the development of the terrestrial fauna

The appearance of predatory mammals became a progressive moment in the development of the terrestrial fauna. They were faced with a large-scale expansion of territories and self-assertion against the background of other, long-existing types of predators, which contributed to the acceleration of evolution - the manifestation of radically new qualities and adaptations that contribute to survival.

On different stages In the history of the saber-toothed feline group, the level of the World Ocean changed quite often - conditions were created for moving animals over long distances to develop new and new territories. Thus, these predators gradually spread to almost all continents except Antarctica and Australia. They dominated the vast land area for tens of millions of years, but then, quite suddenly, disappeared forever.

Today, only fossilized bones remain about saber-toothed

How saber-toothed cats evolved

The killing device in the form of cyclopean-sized fangs has not been tested by nature for the first time on saber-toothed felines, and not only on them. Similar "tools" were tested in different times and on different animals - something of the same kind existed in the group of lizards, and in some other mammals.

Nature endowed ancient cats with a unique murder weapon

Of course, predators used this magnificent tool primarily for hunting - they could open their mouths very wide, almost 120 degrees. Modern cats can only dream of such a thing.

It is assumed that as animals evolved, the length of the tail decreased, but the reasons and expediency of this phenomenon are not clear. The short tail, however, may indicate that the animal did not need to run much, using it for balance. Massive, heavy representatives of the saber-toothed just did not drive the prey, but attacked it from short distance- for example, from an ambush.

Many saber-toothed cats were bobtailed

Perhaps the evolutionary experiment with saber-toothedness has exhausted itself - a tool ideal for killing large prey turned out to be useless for use on smaller game: it is very inconvenient to catch and eat a rabbit with such a mouth. Nowadays, super-long fangs are not in honor of nature and are not used by it in creativity. Of modern feline predators, only the clouded leopard has disproportionately large fangs, although it is not classified as a direct descendant of saber-toothed cats.

Clouded leopard - the most fanged modern cat

Where did they live and why did they die out

Large predatory cats lived both in the endless savannas and in dense forests - everything is as it is now. Nine to ten million years ago, when the saber-toothed subfamily was in its heyday, its representatives had already settled on all but two continents and in many ways took a leading position - then there were no animals equal to them in mind and strength; the age of man has not yet come.

For scientists, the relatively rapid disappearance of megafauna from the face of the planet is still a mystery: mammoths, giant rhinoceroses and the same saber-toothed cats. Why did they become extinct, what happened ten thousand years ago - very recently in terms of history? Climate change, nutritional problems, and the human factor are also mentioned among the reasons - but these reasons alone were hardly sufficient for such a large-scale cataclysm.

There are other hypotheses: for example, the cosmic one - about the fall of a certain comet to Earth, which mysteriously had a detrimental effect on the realities of life giant predators. Perhaps scientists will soon come to a consensus on this matter, and the secret will be revealed, but so far the fact remains: the earthly time of the giants has expired - and they have disappeared. The ruler of the planet was a bipedal predator of relatively modest size - a man.

Video: all about saber-toothed cats

Description of ancient predators

The image of a saber-toothed cat is hypertrophied in our imagination, and first of all, filmmakers tried to make a real out of it scary monster. However, the reality of this prehistoric predator, which modern science is quite accurately able to recreate from the fossil remains available in large numbers. IN Lately there are more and more ideas of cloning ancient monster, but so far they remain beyond fantasy.

Appearance

The size of prehistoric cats was larger than modern ones - they were larger than even the largest predators, a lion and a tiger - but not by much. Their bodies, most likely, were distinguished by increased muscularity - in ancient times, strength was by no means an extra argument in favor of survival.

Many saber-toothed cats have a strong physique

Parts of the bones of the skeleton, which are at the disposal of paleontologists, allow them to assert that in terms of the structure of the spine, saber-toothed felines most of all resembled a hyena - they had shortened hind legs and an elongated neck, which visually made the body quite compact. Perhaps they lacked grace and grace, but the choice in the direction of strength was again obvious.

To say that saber teeth were the ideal murder weapon is still impossible. In the process of fighting a strong prey, the fangs could well break and jam somehow unsuccessfully, immediately making their “carrier” helpless and vulnerable. These sharp but fragile blades made it possible to kill a large herbivore with lightning speed, as if piercing its thick skin around the neck or gutting its stomach. Alternatively, predators used their giant fangs as carving knives, tearing the victim's carcass apart.

Those terrible teeth were easy to break

The main types of saber-toothed cats

It’s worth mentioning right away that the common expression “saber-toothed tiger” is incorrect. In any case, Smilodon, which is most often called that, lived on the American continent and could not become the ancestor of the tiger.

The ancestors of many famous saber-toothed cats are Machairodus. According to scientists, it was the mahairods that became that promising branch of prehistoric cats, which in the process of evolution was divided into several independent powerful species. Megatherions also became the ancestors of Smilodon, who lived on the territory of both current Americas, North and South. Other predatory monsters, Homotherium, reigned on the European Plain. However, no fundamental differences between these animals were noticed, except that the "Europeans" had a shorter body.

Machairods ("dagger teeth" - translated from ancient Greek) lived on the Eurasian continent 15 million years ago, pretty soon after their appearance they climbed to the top of the food chain. This ancient genus of saber-toothed cats was originally represented by animals that were not too large, smaller than a modern lion - the weight of the most powerful specimens did not exceed 220 kilograms. The fangs of the mahairods were already well developed, but they were much inferior in size to the “blades” of smilodons and homotherians.

On the European Plain there were no such huge herds of large ungulates as in Africa or America, so the favorite prey of the local saber-toothed cats were mastodons - extinct ancient proboscis animals smaller in size than a mammoth or even a modern elephant.

The fangs of the machairod were relatively small

In the genus Mahairod, the following species are distinguished:

  • Machairodus aphanistus;
  • Machairodus giganteus;
  • Machairodus coloradensis;
  • Machairodus palanderi.

Smilodon is that terrible beast, which is commonly called the saber-toothed tiger. This short-tailed predator was the largest representative of the subfamily of saber-toothed cats, although it did not greatly exceed the dimensions of modern tigers and lions - it weighed up to four centners, and its luxurious sharp fangs, together with roots, reached a length of 28 centimeters.

Outwardly, he looked like mountain lion, pumped in the gym - powerful relief muscles framed a strong and wide skeleton. Short hair in different subspecies could be either uniformly dyed or spotted.

Smilodons could even hunt giant sloths

Males outnumbered females in size and "wore" a short stiff mane. They apparently led small prides in which the cats hunted and the male ruled. According to another version, the animals were organized into social groups consisting of several males and females.

Scientists distinguish the following subspecies of this type of saber-toothed cat:

  • Smilodon fatalis;
  • Smilodon floridus;
  • Smilodon californicus;
  • Smilodon gracilis;
  • Smilodon populator.

Over the four million years of its existence, Homotheria managed to widely populate the planet - to establish itself as one of the most powerful and successfully developing genera of predatory animals. They have adapted well to life in a variety of climatic conditions and lived in different latitudes - from the glacial regions to the tropics - if only there was enough food.

These were very strong and hardy, but far from the largest saber-toothed cats, even smaller than their progenitors, the mahairods - the weight of the male did not reach two hundred kilograms. Studies have shown that Homotherium, unlike most saber-toothed animals, saw better during the day than at night.

Homotherium - a strong and hardy saber-toothed cat

A large genus of Homotherium united up to a dozen species, among which the following are the most studied:

  • Homotherium latidens;
  • Homotherium nestianus;
  • Homotherium sainzelli;
  • Homotherium crenatidens;
  • Homotherium nihowanensis;
  • Homotherium ultimum.

This is what various types of ancient saber-toothed cats could look like - photo gallery

Mahairod - a representative of the most successful genus of saber-toothed cats Barbourofelis was distinguished by great strength, huge fangs - and a small brain Proailur - a medium-sized saber-toothed cat that lived mainly on trees the ancestor of cheetahs and cougars, Dinofelis, according to scientists, often hunted people Homotherium, unlike many cats, saw better during the day than at night Smilodon is a textbook saber-tooth, often called a saber-toothed tiger.

Video: this is what saber-toothed cats probably looked like

Lifestyle and nutrition

There is no exact data on how these spectacular "great-cats" lived and hunted - whether they preferred to stay alone or still gathered in the likeness of the current lion prides. Accordingly, we do not know about the peculiarities of their social behavior. The structure of the limbs suggests that these monsters were hardly distinguished by their ability to develop tremendous speed while pursuing the prey, but their powerful swift throw at the prey should have been crushing and victorious.

The strength of saber teeth is in an accurate and powerful throw

At the opportunity, saber-toothed cats - diversified their diet and human flesh - hunted ancient primates, which are considered our ancestors. This is unambiguously evidenced by archaeological finds - terrible marks on the skulls of ancient people, which could only be left by the fangs of a saber-toothed beast.

Did these predators attack mammoth giants? Scenes of such epic battles like to be painted by modern artists - but they are very unlikely to have at least some foundation. Only defenseless mammoth cubs could be tough on cats - well, or an adult, but already completely dying animal.

Smilodons could only attack mammoths in packs

By the way, the finds of bones of mammoths, obviously gnawed by saber-toothed jaws, lead scientists to the conclusion that predators hunted in groups - it was hardly possible to recapture the cub from angry mammoth parents.

Did they hunt small animals like rodents? In fact, hunger is not an aunt, and where would the proud monsters go if they really wanted to eat. But in ancient times, the food base for predators was much more abundant - they did not experience a shortage of hunting objects and could choose one of them so that the effort expended would bring as much meat as possible.

Ancient cats preferred to attack large herbivores

Probably, ancient cats, like modern ones, had the ability to see - and therefore hunt - in the dark. Such conclusions make it possible to make reconstructions of the skulls and conclusions about which parts of the brain were developed in saber-toothed predators. And night surprise attacks are an opportunity to overcome a relaxed victim of a rather large size. For the same purpose, apparently, attacks from ambushes and shelters were used.

Many saber-tooth battles have been fought in the darkness

Large ungulates - something like bison, wild boars and horses - formed the basis of the diet of prehistoric cats. Sometimes even giant sloths became their prey - animals the size of an elephant, which themselves were sometimes not averse to eating meat.

Video: what we know about the saber-toothed tiger

Findings of the remains of saber-toothed cats

Numerous finds of skeleton bones and skulls of ancient saber-tooths provide interesting and invaluable materials for science. Scientists receive a lot of material for research and reconstruction - the fossilized remains of saber-toothed cats are found from time to time throughout their vast habitat: on all continents except Antarctic and Australian.

Thanks to such important finds, gaps in our knowledge of both specific types of prehistoric animals and, in general, about the disappeared megafauna of the planet are constantly being filled.

For example, the find, which in 2000 was pulled out of the waters of the North Sea by the nets of a fishing vessel, was of revolutionary importance - on that day, the “catch” of the fishermen was part of the jaw of an ancient Homotherium. Studies have shown that this saber-tooth lived on Earth 28 thousand years ago, but until then, scientists assumed that saber-toothed cats had not existed on our planet for three hundred thousand years.

Homotherium jaw found at the bottom of the North Sea

The most interesting surprises await paleontologists in the so-called bitumen or asphalt lakes - the Americans also call them tar pits. Only a few tar pits have survived from prehistoric times, mostly in the United States, but also in Venezuela, Iran, Russia, Poland and Azerbaijan. Liquid asphalt became a death trap for many wild animals, and then an excellent preservative for their remains. It was here that many skeletons of saber-toothed cats were found in perfect condition.

Large-scale excavations that lasted for eight years were carried out in the area of ​​​​the city of Madrid (Spain), supervised by the Museum of Paleontology of the University of Michigan. The excavations resulted in numerous valuable finds, including the remains of 27 saber-toothed predators. At the end of the Miocene period, on the site of modern Madrid, there were dense forests and juicy meadows abounding in herbivores - they were hunted by saber teeth.

Paleontologists showcase their findings at excavations near Madrid

Very interesting finds are not only bones, but also ... traces of prehistoric cats - several of these fossilized paw prints were found in different years on different continents. The first in a series of such amazing finds was the “paw” of Smilodon, which walked fifty thousand years ago in the vicinity of the present city of Miramar (Argentina). The diameter of such a foot is 19.2 centimeters, which is commensurate with the palm print of an adult - if the fingers are fully apart.

Fossilized Smilodon paw print discovered in Argentina

In Argentina, in La Plata, is located famous museum natural science, among the exhibits of which are the remains of saber-toothed cats. The entrance to the museum is guarded by a pair of stone smilodons.

Saber-toothed tigers are formidable and dangerous predators families of cats, 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 universally, and even in scientific literature, further we will also use this beautiful allegory.

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 canines, wide and serrated with 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?

In the Pleistocene, or "Ice Age", which covered 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 his jaw apparatus did not allow him to produce small animals, a massive physique and short tail did not give the opportunity to catch up with fast-footed prey in open areas, which became more and more. 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 known to science representatives of saber-toothed cats, it was mahairod who 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 others. 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. In addition to this, the presence a large number notches on the fangs allowed scientists to conclude that these animals were capable of inflicting not only chopping, but also cutting blows with them.

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 known to the ancient animal world Earth, Smilodon possessed a more powerful physique. The largest representative of saber-toothed cats - the smilodon populator 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.

Information about smilodon is contained in many scientific reference books and fiction, he acts as a character in films ("Portal jurassic"," 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 a direct descendant of saber-toothed cats, the clouded leopard serves clear proof the fact that the method of hunting with the use of deadly "fangs-sabers" may well be used by a predator in modern times.

I am sure that almost all modern children and adults know that saber-toothed tigers once walked our planet. In many ways, we owe this knowledge to the cartoon "Ice Age", where one of the main characters - Diego - is a saber-toothed tiger. But were there really such animals, and if so, what happened to them?

In fact, the concept of "saber-toothed tiger" is rather everyday. In reality, everything looks a little different and, as is often the case in science, more complicated. I will try to do without complex scientific terms and briefly talk about extinct cats with huge fangs, which, by the way, completely disappeared not so long ago ...

Thanks to the found skeletons, scientists have learned that between 20 million years ago and up to 10,000 years ago, cats with very long fangs inhabited all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Such cats were bred into a separate subfamily of cats - saber-toothed cats. For a long time it was believed that all saber-toothed cats were large, such as the modern tiger or lion, but later it turned out that cats of all sizes were saber-toothed.

The question still remains without a clear answer: why do cats have such long fangs? On the one hand, such fangs made it possible to inflict very deep wounds on prey, on the other hand, they could be broken quite easily. In addition, for a bite with such fangs, the mouth of a predator had to open more than 120 degrees, and with such a structure of the jaw, the bite force is reduced. According to one version, the fangs were of purely aesthetic value and served as a way to attract individuals of the opposite sex, but the version that the fangs served to inflict deep wounds sounds more plausible.

Let's return to the saber-toothed tigers, or rather to Diego from Madagascar. Who really was Diego? The subfamily of saber-toothed cats is divided into two groups or, in scientific language, into two tribes - mahairods and smilodons. The main difference between them was the size - smilodons were the largest representatives of the cat family on earth. And it is the smilodon that is called the saber-toothed tiger, respectively, Diego is the smilodon.

The reason for the disappearance of saber-toothed cats, however, like many others large mammals, became glacial period, covering the period from two million to twenty-five thousand years ago. Smilodons gradually lose their usual food - large mammals, including mammoths. The structure of cats did not allow them to hunt small game, which led to their gradual extinction.

Comparison of smilodon with a human and a tiger:

Remember me? If not, then let me remind you that this small cat has the longest fangs (relative to body size) of all modern representatives cat families. And it is the smoky leopard that is considered, if not a direct descendant, but the closest relative of Smilodon.

Detachment - Predators

Family - feline

Genus/Species - Smilodon. Saber-toothed tiger Smilodon

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Height at withers: about 1 m.

Length: body 1.5 m, skull 0.3 m.

BREEDING

Puberty: no data.

Number of cubs: unknown.

Period of existence: Pleistocene epoch. The tiger became extinct about 11,000 years ago.

LIVING PLACE

North and South America.

The saber-toothed tiger Smilodon (see photo) belonged to separate group predators, which currently does not exist. Researchers suggest that he may have fed on carrion. This is one of the most well-known representatives of his family.

PREHISTORIC FINDINGS

The most famous fossils were found in an oil lake at Rancha La Brea in California. The ancient lake was a watering place. Animals that came to the water often got stuck in the asphalt, becoming easy prey for predators. Oil flowed to the surface of the earth. Such a lake became a trap for animals that lived nearby.

FOOD

Smilodon was a species of Machairod that lived in North and South America between 1.6 million and 11 thousand years ago. On the basis of archaeological finds, it is included in a separate evolutionary branch of predatory cats. Now representatives of the cat hunt, attacking the prey from behind, and, sticking sharp claws into it, clenching their teeth, break the victim's spine.

At first, scientists thought that the saber-toothed tiger pounced on the victim and killed her, inflicting deep wounds and gnawing through the cervical vertebrae.

He had long sharp fangs, along the edges of which there were small notches - so he could attack animals that were larger than himself. It is now believed that the saber-toothed tiger ate carrion. The strong bend of the fangs indicates that the beast used them not for hunting and killing, but only for cutting prey. The saber-toothed tiger moved slowly. The fossilized remains of the skeleton show that its legs were short enough, and the body was massive, that is, it could not pursue prey for a long time. The length of its fangs suggests that the tiger could open its mouth at an angle of 120°; for comparison, modern ones are able to do this within 65 °.

INTERESTING INFORMATION. DO YOU KNOW WHAT...

  • The name of the saber-toothed tiger is not true - it does not have joint ancestors with the tiger.
  • There were several types of mahairods that lived in different periods. Smilodon lived in Europe, Africa and Asia during the Pleistocene era and until the end of the Ice Age.
  • 12 thousand years ago, another saber-toothed tiger lived in America.
  • Large fangs helped tigers butcher animal carcasses.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE SABER-TOOTH TIGER. DESCRIPTION

The saber-toothed tiger belonged to the Machairod family. He had a powerful body, about 1.5 m long, which was about 2/3 of the body length bengal tiger who lives in our time. His skull reached a length of about 30 cm. With the mouth closed, the tips of the long fangs were below the chin.

The saber-toothed tiger could open its mouth at an angle of 120°. modern lion can only do so at a 65° angle. The saber-toothed tiger had long fangs along the edges that were serrated.


- Places where fossils were found

WHERE AND WHEN LIVED THE SABER-TOOTH TIGER SMILODON

The saber-toothed tiger lived on the continent that united modern North and South America. He lived in the Pleistocene era, in the interval from about 1 million 600 thousand years to 11 thousand years ago. The reason for its extinction is still unknown. Fossilized remains of other machairids have been found in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Smilodon is an ancient saber-toothed tiger. Watch video (00:03:17)

Saber-toothed tiger. 1 part. Video (00:14:18)

When you hear this name, one thing comes to mind - a ruthless and ferocious predator. The saber-toothed tiger is a huge cat adapted to hunting the biggest prey. This giant, possessing incredible strength and armed with 17-centimeter fangs, sharp as a knife, dominated the American continents for almost 2 million years. But suddenly the saber-toothed tigers mysteriously disappeared. Today, science and the latest Computer techologies allow us to look back 100 centuries and bring this fearsome creature back to life.

Saber-toothed tiger. 2 part. Video (00:14:53)