~ Saber Tooth ~ This is Smilodon fatals Commonly called a Saber Tooth Tiger. Sadly, this is a very common misconception. There is actually no such thing as a Saber Tooth Tiger. In order to call something a tiger, the remains must be found in Asia. Along with other skeletal characteristics. In fact, a s. fatals looks more like a lion or house cat when you examine its skeleton, more so than any tiger! This skull is HUGE! I am holding it as you can se, and my thumb is about 2.5 inches long. It is a casting from a real s. fatals skull. The teeth are heterodont. Meaning they are different in shape and function according to the position in the mouth. The purpose of those infamous sabers was clearly for hunting, but the method of hunting is still being debated. Originally it was assumed they would go for the belly and eviscerate their prey. But new research has shown this would have been extremely ineffective. By using a metal casting of a saber tooth's skull, and a nice cow cadaver, it was determined the wound inflicted on the stomach would have only been superficial. The jaws did not open wide enough to create a deep puncture. Don't be deceived though, those jaws open almost 90 degrees, or straight down! Using the same cow and skull cast, the next test went for the front of the neck, where all the soft tissue is. When this was done it was shown that the sabers not only cut through the neck completely, but went behind the windpipe and cut that and all the arteries along with it. When looking at modern lions, they do almost the same thing. The problem is, this takes along time for them to do, as they crush the windpipe, not cut it. This attracts alot of attention. By completely severing the windpipe and arteries, the job is finished much quicker, and does not attract as much attention...say from an giant short faced bear. Photo-1, By PaleoClipper Via: Deviant Art
Photo-2, By BunnyPunk
Via: Deviant Art