The Saber-toothed cat was an animal species that became extinct ten thousand years ago. These were named after the pair of elongated bladelike canine teeth in the upper jaw. However, they are also often called saber-toothed lions or saber-toothed tigers, as modern lions and tigers are true kinds of cats.
According to Britannica.com, the existence of Saber-toothed cats spans from the Eocene through the Pleistocene Epoch, which existed from 56 million to 11,700 years ago. They were usually found in North America and Europe throughout their existence period.
However, they were also found in Africa and Asia during Pliocene times. The Saber-toothed cats were also present in South America during the Pleistocene.
The frozen remains of a saber-toothed cat are now being studied. According to a study published in Scientific Reports, the remains are of a 35,000-year-old cub. They were preserved in Yakutia, Russia, and in 2020, they were determined to belong to a cub.
One of the most significant characteristics was its small ears, front arms, long neck, dark brown fur, and large mouth opening. The authors compared cub remains to modern lion cubs. They found that the cat's mummy was similar to the subfamily Machairodontinae, specifically the Homotherium genus.
However, there were also several differences, including the ears being higher on the skull and the mouth opening, which was about 11% to 19% larger. The neck was also twice as thick as that of a modern lion cub.
Talking about the rare appearance of the extinct mammal, the study's authors wrote,
"For the first time in the history of paleontology, the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogues in the modern fauna has been studied."
What are the unique characteristics of a Saber-toothed cat?
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The saber-toothed cat had several unique features, including large teeth. The wide gap helps it open its mouth to 120 degrees. In today's age, lions can only open their mouth to about half of this size, that is, 60 degrees.
Another unique feature of these extinct cats is their skull modification. They could accommodate the attachment of their strong neck muscles, which help them bring their head down. Studies on this kind of cat also suggest that it hunted by stabbing and slashing its prey with its canine teeth.
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