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The researchers visited numerous museums in the U.S., Canada and France, and they used software to compare lions, pumas, panthers, jaguars, and tigers to their saber-toothed cat to confirm it was entirely new fossils and not a previously identified extinct big cat.
The new species of saber-toothed cat, on average, weighed 600 pounds. But they weighed in up to 900 pounds, making it among the largest known cats in history. It lived 5 to 9 million years ago; scientists discovered with its massive forearms it could take down prey as much as 6,000 pounds, but they think it often hunted prey that weighed between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds.
May 03, 2021 05:50 PM EDT
Scientists reported on May 3, 2021, in a new study, a giant saber-toothed cat inhabited North America (Columbus, Ohio) between 5 million and 9 million years ago, weighing about 900 pounds and capturing prey that possibly weighed 1,000 to 2,000 pounds.
(Photo : Getty Images)
Identification of the Cat s Fossils
The researchers finalized a meticulous comparison of seven fossil specimens that are uncategorized with formerly recognized fossils and samples of bone from around the world to describe the new species. Their discovery makes a case for using the elbow portion of the humerus - adding to the teeth - to have an identification of large saber-toothed cats fossils whose huge forearms enabled them to conquer their prey.
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Three children under 3 sounds pretty daunting. But her “carpet crawlers” arrived after she already had put herself through college, obtained three degrees and made a big career change.
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IMAGE: Image of the humerus bone excavated from north central Oregon, which is now on display in the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History. view more
Credit: Photo courtesy of John Orcutt
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A giant saber-toothed cat lived in North America between 5 million and 9 million years ago, weighing up to 900 pounds and hunting prey that likely weighed 1,000 to 2,000 pounds, scientists reported today in a new study.
The researchers completed a painstaking comparison of seven uncategorized fossil specimens with previously identified fossils and bone samples from around the world to describe the new species. Their finding makes a case for the use of the elbow portion of the humerus - in addition to teeth - to identify fossils of large saber-toothed cats whose massive forearms enabled them to subdue their prey.