As opposed to stabbing or slashing its victim, the saber-toothed cat likely sheared the flesh, using the combined power of its jaw and neck muscles to control its enormous teeth. Lions, in contrast, asphyxiate their victims with often prolonged bites, perhaps explaining why they evolved a stronger overall biting force. Weak or strong, the prehistoric feline's bite, along with its taste for meat — including that of ancient humans — may have led to its demise. Anthropologist Robert Sussman of Washington University in St. Louis points out evidence, including teeth marks on bones, talon marks on skulls and holes in a fossil cranium, which indicate saber-toothed cats and other mega-sized carnivores preyed on our early ancestors, such as the diminutive Australopithecus afarensis, which stood around 3 to 5 feet tall and weighed between 60 to 100 pounds. In his book, Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators and Human Evolution, Sussman explains that while some early humans were plant-eaters who avoided the fierce cats "at all costs," they also became more clever and organized at outwitting them. When systematic hunting came into play for modern humans around 60,000 years ago, saber-toothed cats could have been among our ancestor's earliest targets. Related Links: |
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