Smilodon fatalis
Sabertooth cat
Family: Felidae

Time
Pleistocene

Place
North and South America

In Our Area
Rancho La Brea

Description
Smilodon fatalis was not quite as large as the modern African lion. It stood about 40 inches (100 cm) high at shoulder. Along with very powerful limbs, the sabertooth cat was armed with extremely long, curved upper canines with sharp serrations on the front and back edges. Unlike the lion, tiger, or cheetah, these animals had short tails.

Ecology
In the world famous asphalt deposits at Rancho La Brea in downtown Los Angeles, fossil remains of the sabertooth cat are the second most commonly found, next to those of the dire wolf. It has been designated as the California state fossil.

A fearsome predator, the sabertooth cat most likely used stealth techniques to ambush its prey, rather than speed. However, even as an ambush predator it could probably run as fast as 30 mph (48 km) for short bursts.

Recent studies of Smilodon fossils show that unlike social lions today, the sizes of the male and female canine teeth are nearly the same. Among living African lions, the pride is usually made up of one male and several females. The large male has canine teeth much larger than those of the female. This example of sexual dimorphism in modern lions' teeth is not found in Smilodon, and for that reason Smilodon is not thought to have been a cat that lived in social groups. However, there is some evidence Smilodon may have hunted cooperatively, preying on animals larger than themselves such as bison, camels, and horses. Many fossilized sabertooth cat bones display damage from arthritis and/or heavy injuries, some of which had been allowed to heal.

Precisely how Smilodon fatalis used its long canine teeth is somewhat of a mystery. Clearly they did not use them to wildly slash or stab their victims. Although the canines are long, they are also slender and thus prone to breakage especially when embedded into the body of a struggling prey or when biting in areas close to bones. Biomechanical studies suggest that Smilodon probably used a relatively complex bite strategy in attacks to the soft underbelly of prey. With the sturdy incisor teeth of the lower jaw planted in the prey's skin, Smilodon used its strong neck muscles to pull the head and sharp saberteeth into the prey's body to open up a large mortal wound.

Suggested Reading
Jefferson, George T. and Lowell Lindsay. 2006. Fossil Treasures of the Anza-Borrego Desert. San Diego: Sunbelt Publications.

Turner, Alan. 2004. Prehistoric Mammals. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.

Text: Margaret Dykens and Lynett Gillette
Illustration: William Stout
Fossil illustration: Tim Gunther

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