Tag Archive for 'La Brea Tar Pits'

The canine of saber-toothed predators represents one of the most specialized dental structures known. Hypotheses about the function of hypertrophied canines range from display and conspecific interaction, soft food processing, to active prey acquisition. Recent research on the ontogenetic timing of skull traits indicates the adult canine can take years to fully erupt, but the consequences of prolonged eruption on inferences of canine functional morphology are missing from current discourse and have not been quantified. In his new study, Tseng evaluates hypotheses about adult canine bending strength and stiffness, respectively, during eruption in Smilodon fatalis. Image credit: Massimo Molinero.

Saber-Toothed Tigers Held onto Their Milk Teeth to Stabilize Their Sabers, Study Suggests

May 1, 2024 by News Staff

A new analysis of the distinctive canines of the saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon fatalis) suggests that the baby tooth — one of the deciduous teeth...

Smilodon fatalis. Image credit: Adam Hartstone-Rose.

Could Saber-Toothed Cats and American Lions Roar?

Aug 22, 2023 by News Staff

The American lion (Panthera atrox) may have roared, while the saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis may have produced vocalizations similar to living purring...

An artist’s impression of Smilodon fatalis. Image credit: Sergio De la Rosa / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Saber-Tooth Cats and Dire Wolves Suffered from Osteochondrosis, New Study Shows

Jul 13, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Skeletal disease may hamper the behavior of large predators both living and extinct. In new research, paleontologists from Evidensia Academy and the La...