Smilodon

Clemson's Oldest 'Tiger'

 

The Campbell Geology Museum has the southeast's only mounted skeletal replica of Smilodon. Saber-toothed cats, ancient relatives of the Clemson Tiger, roamed across South Carolina between 1 million to 8,000 years ago.

My, What Big Teeth you have!

Saber-toothed cats have distinctive eye teeth, or canines, that are long, narrow, serrated, and set into a deep socket in the skull. The function of these teeth is a controversial topic among paleontologists.

Some believe that saber-toothed cats like Smilodon used their fangs to stab into prey. Opponents to this idea believe the teeth were too blunt and fragile to handle that kind of stress. Another theory is that the fangs were used to fillet meat from the bones of prey. However, the teeth do not exhibit the type of wear that would be expected if used in that manner.

An idea gaining acceptance is that Smilodon subdued its prey with its forequarters, then used its canines to pierce the flesh and cause a catastrophic wound. Prey would bleed to death and Smilodon could safely tear off chunks of flesh. Smilodon may also have used its cheek teeth (carnassials) to slice off pieces of meat like a pair of scissors cuts through paper.

The lifestyle of Smilodon...Smilodon fatalis was probably heavier than an African lion, although slightly smaller. The short tail and shape of the limb bones suggest this saber toothed cat was an ambush hunter, rather than a chase-down predator like a cheetah. The front limbs were powerfully built, and stress patterns on the bones indicate that Smilodon used them to subdue their victims. The color patterns of Smilodon are unknown, but knowledge of their habitat can give us clues. An ambush predator would need good camouflage for a successful surprise attack. Perhaps the pelt had large spots to break up the animal’s silhouette in woodlands and tall grass prairies. Fossil evidence suggests that Smilodon was highly social and may have lived in groups like modern lions. Bones of some animals exhibit crippling damage and signs of healing, showing the animal did not die from its injuries. Because these individuals could not fend for themselves scientists believe they were cared for by other pride members.