https://theconversation.com/sabreto...ion-years-ago-this-old-one-was-in-pain-192200
Sabretooth Cats Hunted On South Africa’s Coast 5 Million Years Ago: This Old One Was In Pain
Over five million years ago, before our ancestors dominated the landscape, southern Africa’s west coast was home to a diverse array of prehistoric beasts. Among them were hyenas, small felines, giant civets, small mongooses, rhinoceroses, and hippopotamuses.
Today, just 120km north of Cape Town, the Langebaanweg fossil area offers a window into this rich natural history. Various finds from Langebaanweg have allowed researchers to piece together what the region looked like during the Mio-Pliocene about 5.2 million years ago.
Our new research adds another piece to that picture: a large sabretooth cat whose long, curved canines made it a powerful predator. It was already known that several genera of sabretooth cat roamed the area around Langebaanweg – now we can add another, previously undescribed species.
This new research not only refines our knowledge about the sabretooth cats that lived and hunted at Langebaanweg. An abnormality we identified in the bones may also shed further light on the big cats’ hunting behaviour.
Sabretooth Cats Hunted On South Africa’s Coast 5 Million Years Ago: This Old One Was In Pain
Over five million years ago, before our ancestors dominated the landscape, southern Africa’s west coast was home to a diverse array of prehistoric beasts. Among them were hyenas, small felines, giant civets, small mongooses, rhinoceroses, and hippopotamuses.
Today, just 120km north of Cape Town, the Langebaanweg fossil area offers a window into this rich natural history. Various finds from Langebaanweg have allowed researchers to piece together what the region looked like during the Mio-Pliocene about 5.2 million years ago.
Our new research adds another piece to that picture: a large sabretooth cat whose long, curved canines made it a powerful predator. It was already known that several genera of sabretooth cat roamed the area around Langebaanweg – now we can add another, previously undescribed species.
This new research not only refines our knowledge about the sabretooth cats that lived and hunted at Langebaanweg. An abnormality we identified in the bones may also shed further light on the big cats’ hunting behaviour.
