Detailed introduction of saber-toothed tiger

The temptation of saber teeth

Teeth are the symbol of carnivores. Even the tame beasts in human hands, the fangs exposed when they open their mouths can be frightening. In particular, a pair of upper canine teeth on both sides of maxillary incisors is a sharp weapon.

When the upper canine teeth become thicker, it becomes what we call a saber-toothed tiger, which is the best in teeth. During the evolution of mammals for more than 200 million years, some carnivorous beasts once had this terrible predation tool. Although they belong to different families, we can call them saber-toothed tigers by an informal name. From primitive toothed beasts and marsupials to carnivorous cats and cat hunters, their visions can be found. Of course, the "saber-toothed animals" mentioned in this article only include these proud hunters, and not all animals with long canine teeth deserve this glorious title, such as wild boar and walrus. Today's scientists still have different opinions on the function of the saber-toothed tiger, but at least one thing is certain: the saber-toothed tiger must have something extraordinary, otherwise there will never be so many different types of carnivores who can't resist the temptation and grow this spectacular weapon in evolution.

In the saber-toothed tiger dynasty, the author of this article will take you in the footsteps of these ancient predators and see how they appeared, multiplied and died.

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:25 reply to this speech

-

2 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

First, the saber-toothed tiger showed its teeth.

Sword tooth prequel

In the Mesozoic Triassic 250 million years ago, mammals, birds and even dinosaurs did not appear. A large group of strange animals rule the earth's land. They have the characteristics of both mammals and reptiles. They are called reptiles similar to mammals, and their official name is theropod dinosaur. Some of them are active predators, some have obvious tusks-they look like saber-toothed tigers, but others may be tusks (this assumption seems even more frightening). It is a pity, however, that with a mass extinction 220 million years ago, almost all theropods disappeared from the earth, and only a few evolved into real mammals, surviving a long 65.438+0.5 billion years in the shadow of dinosaurs.

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:26 reply to this speech

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Animals with "saber teeth" have foraminifera

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:26 reply to this speech

-

4 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

After the extinction of dinosaurs, new life rose on the ruins. During the first period of Cenozoic-Paleocene, mammals were not strong enough, and some huge flightless birds occupied the top of the food chain. They have no teeth, but they use pliers-like beaks as weapons. /kloc-after more than 0/0 million years, a large area of tropical forest was replaced by grassland, and mammals really ushered in their own era. As herbivores become bigger and more agile, carnivores also grow in evolution. The first to ascend the throne of birds were primitive carnivores called ancient carnivores, among which Hyaenodon was the most powerful, and many members emerged at that time. For example, Mentoclaenodon found in Walbeck fauna in the middle of Paleocene, their skulls are only 15cm long, but they are already the largest in this fauna. Stegosaurus's teeth are still primitive, but its canine teeth have become more prominent saber teeth with blades at the back end, and its mandible also shows signs of downward expansion. On the other hand, Anacoton, a more powerful member of Canine Suborder distributed in North America, who lived from the late Paleocene to the early Eocene, has a huge downward protruding part of his jaw, which can protect the developed saber teeth like a scabbard.

In fact, in the late stage of development, canine teeth of canine mammals generally increase, probably to prey on longer and larger herbivores. Although most species of "saber-toothed tigers" are not as exaggerated as later carnivorous and marsupial saber-toothed tigers, they are the first mammals to grow saber-toothed tigers' teeth, and their temporary success indicates that the next tens of millions of years will be the world of saber-toothed tigers. In the late Eocene, most hyenas completed their historical mission, but the prelude to the "saber-toothed tiger era" has just begun.

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:26 reply to this speech

-

5 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The restored picture of the remote-toothed iguana looks like a mixture of tigers and marsupials, except for the saber-toothed tiger (note that the lower jaw protection is not drawn in this picture).

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:26 reply to this speech

-

6 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The cruel pioneer-Dinic

About 55 million years ago, a carnivore separated from the ancestors of their cats. People call it Nimraviadae, and some people think it is a subfamily Nimraviadae under cats. Early cat hunters were quick-moving and well-running carnivores, not much bigger than domestic cats, and their teeth were not as specialized as cats. At that time, their development was very successful, with a wide variety and radial evolution, and they flourished earlier than cats.

Gubiao (also known as tooth-fearing cat) lived in the early and middle Oligocene 40-22.5 million years ago and was one of the pioneers of cat hunting. They are only about 1.5 meters long and 0.6 meters high, and their whole body is between cats and civet cats: their bodies and tails are slender, their limbs are short, and their claws can't be fully retracted, just like civet cats; The head is very close to a real cat, and it may have triple eyelids like a cat. Their jaws are strong, their upper canine teeth are not as developed as the later saber-toothed tigers, and their lower canine teeth are not so large, but compared with their bodies, they are very large and sharp, and they are effective hunting weapons. Because of this, many people think that they are the earliest "saber-toothed animals" in Carnivora. Unlike cats today, they walk with the soles of their feet instead of toes, which affects their speed of action. Therefore, on the whole, the original composition of Gu Biao's body structure is more obvious. They used to live widely in the grasslands of North America, feeding on all kinds of herbivores, mainly ancient beasts as big as African bison, which were as high as 1.8 meters, but they were only half as big as modern African lions. This shows the ferocity of ancient hurricanes. Some scholars believe that they are the ancestors of Nim Laforce and Pusudelerus.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:27 reply to this speech

-

7 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Gu Biao, who is short, can kill a giant pig. Since then, challenging the strong has become the consistent style of the "saber-toothed tiger school"

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:27 reply to this speech

-

8 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Giant Tooth Hunter —— Yusmirus (also known as Gu Jian Tooth Tiger)

Like the pseudo-saber-toothed tiger and the Gbagbo saber-toothed tiger introduced below, the first saber-toothed tiger is not a real "saber-toothed tiger", let alone an ancestor of the saber-toothed tiger, but a member of the cat hunting family. They first appeared in Eurasia in the late Eocene (about 40 million years ago), and then entered North America in Oligocene. In fact, their fossils have only been found in some parts of France and the United States.

The first kind of saber-toothed tiger is the earliest type of "Deke tooth". Its upper canine teeth are large and long, arc-shaped, and its lower jaw is slender, like a scabbard. The degeneration of lower canine teeth is similar to that of front teeth, and its mouth can be opened more than 90 degrees. These two points enable them to effectively use the teeth of saber-toothed tigers to make a fatal blow, which has become the standard feature of saber-toothed tigers since then. It is also worth mentioning that they only have 26 teeth, which is less than the cat's 30. The largest saber-toothed tiger is as big as a leopard, about 2 ~ 2.5 meters long from beginning to end, with a long and short figure and a long tail, which is similar to a leopard. Some species are even 1.5 times that of domestic cats, but the length of saber teeth can reach 8 cm. Despite their small size, they are flexible and fast, and some even speculate that they will hunt large animals in groups. For 20 million years, they have been actively fighting for their own world-including fighting for survival with their own kind, such as Nimravus, a famous knife product, which is shorter but may be equally fierce.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:28 reply to this speech

-

9 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Began the saber-toothed tiger war of hunting tigers

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:28 reply to this speech

-

10 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Start with the skull of the saber-toothed tiger. Notice its huge sword-shaped teeth and downward protruding jaw.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:28 reply to this speech

-

1 1 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Second, group disputes.

A temporary dignitary-Hopronas

Four million years after the appearance of the ancient watch and the first saber-toothed tiger, other predators began to roam the Oligocene land, which is the famous pseudo saber-toothed tiger. This is a successful carnivore, distributed in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, and evolved many different species. Some of these species are much smaller than ancient watches, but some are almost as big as jaguars. But in terms of body structure, the pseudo saber-toothed tiger and Gu Biao have many similarities, which are primitive compared with the real cat. In addition, as a more powerful killer, the saber-toothed tiger's saber teeth are also more developed, showing a long and flat sword shape, and the protective blade of the elongated jaw is not obvious. It is speculated that they mainly feed on various primitive horses that flourished in this period.

In the contest with other carnivores at that time, the pseudo-saber-toothed tiger always dominated, and it was the most powerful extreme predator besides the toothed beast. But their scenery didn't last long, and it was not found in the late Oligocene 30.5 million years ago.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:28 reply to this speech

-

12 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Bullying, Bullying-Pablo feliz

In the early Miocene, all the above cats were extinct, but at this time, the glory of cat hunters was even more dazzling-/kloc-0.5 million years ago, the terrible Gbagbo saber-toothed tiger began to sweep across Eurasia and North America. Several saber-toothed tigers in Gbagbo are only as big as leopards, but a late species Barbourofelis fricki can reach 3.5 meters in length and weigh more than 400 kilograms, which is no less than the pride of saber-toothed tigers and the "general saber-toothed tigers" that appeared more than 6.5438+million years later. Gbagbo freund's saber-toothed tiger is huge and stout, with bear-like muscles, especially its forelimbs. Unlike most cats and cat hunters, their eyes are on the sides of their heads rather than near the front, their ears are lower and their mouths and noses are wider. These features are most likely to facilitate the use of saber-toothed tigers and reduce the pressure on other organs when the mouth is wide open. )。 In fact, their saber teeth (dagger teeth) are the most developed among all cats, even surpassing their young cousin, the American saber-toothed tiger, and their jaws are protected by great leaves. Some scientists believe that this kind of saber tooth is not only used for hunting, but also used as a tool to show off or fight among the same kind.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:29 reply to this speech

-

13 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The tall Gbagbo saber-toothed tiger.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:29 reply to this speech

-

14 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The mysterious kid -Paramachairodus (also known as the saber-toothed tiger)

Just after hunting cats, let's introduce the saber-toothed tiger, which is the authentic saber-toothed tiger. This is actually an overused name, and almost all saber-toothed tigers are worthy of this title; However, the real "saber-toothed tiger" only includes members of cats. Although it is called "tiger", it is not a tiger at all, and it is far from the current tiger. The usual classification method is to classify all saber-toothed tigers as Machairodontinae and all cats except cheetahs as Felinae. In other words, almost from the beginning, the saber-toothed tiger family parted ways with other cat members.

The origin of saber-toothed tiger subfamily has always been a controversial topic, which appeared about 2000 ~150 thousand years ago. It is also controversial whether saber-toothed tiger extinct 9 million years ago is the earliest member of this family. Although they are usually regarded as the last link in the evolutionary series of giant saber-toothed tigers, some species similar to them are classified as cat hunters. In fact, scientists don't know much about them, because only a few fragmentary fossils have been found, representing two species of this genus. It is estimated that their figure is similar to that of clouded leopard, almost the smallest individual among saber-toothed tigers, and it is really insignificant compared with the later saber-toothed tigers.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:29 reply to this speech

-

15 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The favored son of heaven-Macharodus with short sword and sharp teeth

Starting from the Miocene 6.5438+0.5 million years ago, the saber-toothed tiger finally welcomed the first important member of this family-the saber-toothed tiger with a short sword, which evolved from the original panda (Proailurus), and its Latin name means "saber-tooth". They have been widely distributed in Eurasia, Africa and North America (a considerable number of fossils have been found in caves), and there are many kinds. The saber-toothed tiger with short sword is similar to a lion or a tiger, with a shoulder height of more than 1 m, slender limbs and a short tail, but the whole body still gives people a strong feeling. Saber-toothed tiger's teeth, like their names, are relatively short "machete teeth", but the length is still far beyond all existing cats, reaching more than 10 cm. Like other cats, they are likely to eat from one side of their mouths and bite people with cracked teeth on the side, so that long saber-toothed tigers will not cause obstacles. In addition, their jaws do not have protective leaves like scabbard, which is also an important difference between real saber-toothed tigers and cats. It is speculated that they may be group predators like lions, enough to deal with most herbivores and other carnivorous competitors.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:30 reply to this speech

-

16 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The skull of the saber-toothed tiger, even the "dagger" can not be underestimated.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:30 reply to this speech

-

17 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

In fact, it is very likely that the emergence of saber-toothed tigers greatly accelerated the final extinction of cat hunting. They have existed on the earth for 654.38+03 million years, occupying the top of the food chain on all continents for a long time, and can be called the most successful saber-toothed tiger.

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:30 reply to this speech

-

18 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The Spirit in the Forest-Metailurus

On the Eurasian continent, there is also a medium-sized carnivore called Houmao, which appeared almost at the same time as Gbagbo saber-toothed tiger and disappeared at the same time. In the past, some people thought they were the surviving descendants of cat hunters, but now they are generally considered to be real cats and a member of the saber-toothed tiger family. In the 1920s, Stansky named it for the first time according to the fossil species "Epinephelus giganteus" in Gansu, China. At present, several post-cat fossils have been found in Asia and Europe, and many have been unearthed in China. Post-cats are not much different from cats in many ways. Their bodies are similar to cougars, with slender bodies and flat and short saber teeth, and they are not particularly developed. The post-cat may be a hidden killer lurking in the forest like the leopard now, preying on all kinds of unsuspecting medium-sized herbivores; However, compared with the big dagger saber-toothed tiger, they are naturally weak. Similarly, a fossil unearthed in Gansu province shows that the back hair may have been directly killed by the saber-toothed tiger with a dagger, and the saber-toothed tiger may kill its competitors like a lion occasionally kills a hyena.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:30 reply to this speech

-

19 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Cat's posterior skull

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:3 1 Reply to this statement

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

From the late Eocene to the Pliocene, all kinds of saber-toothed tigers and cat hunters staged a series of survival dramas lasting more than 30 million years in the old world and North America. Now, however, we should temporarily turn our attention to the South American continent in this period and see a strange hunter there-the saber-toothed tiger, which evolved from primitive marsupials.

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:3 1 Reply to this statement

-

2 1 reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Third, challenge the giant bird.

This is the fear of cranes. They are not as elegant as red-crowned cranes.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:3 1 Reply to this statement

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

On the grassland, groups of kangaroos are jumping, and koalas on the trees are lazily gnawing eucalyptus leaves ... This is the impression of many people on Australia. In fact, Australia and its surrounding islands are not the only refuge for marsupials. Among more than 250 marsupials, Central and South American opossums account for more than 70 species. Historically, the evolution of marsupials in South America is not inferior to that in Australia.

Since the late dinosaur era, South America has been isolated from the northern continent, and marsupials that have long been eliminated in most other parts of the world continue to thrive in this relatively stable and less competitive place. But the king here is not a mammal, but a huge bird. First of all, Diatryma gigantea, which is as scary as a carnivorous dinosaur, is 2.5 meters high, and then Phorusrhacos longissimus, which is not so thick but equally tall and fierce, occupies the top of the local food chain, while mammals-members of various marsupials, toothless animals, primates and southern ungulates-can only be victims under the sharp beak. But it turns out that mammals don't want to be ruled forever, even marsupials, which are often considered "inferior" and "backward", are no exception.

Skull of saber-toothed tiger

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:32 reply to this speech

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

In the early Miocene, a group of terrestrial carnivores called Borhyaena evolved from primitive arboreal marsupials. They have huge and heavy heads and teeth and are good at crushing food. They look a bit like hyenas, and some species even grow as big as bears. This group quickly differentiated into many different members, some of whom were similar to wolves and foxes, and some gradually developed saber teeth and became a strange and terrible predator. They are marsupials and tigers. Saber-toothed tigers first appeared in the early Pliocene 8 million years ago, and they evolved in parallel with the saber-toothed tigers in North America at that time in different environments.

The size of saber-toothed tiger is not very big. The largest species (Thylacosmilus atrox) is about 1.5 meters long and weighs only 1 10 kg at most, which is equivalent to the size of a leopard or even a jaguar and four times that of a wombat. Although not tall enough, they also have strong bodies, especially forelimbs. Their most striking place is undoubtedly the head-two saber-toothed tigers, which are as long as 15 cm, are deeply buried in the upper jaw, almost at the same level as the top of the head; There is a huge protective leaf protruding downward from the mandible, and its development level is beyond the reach of cat hunters in those days. Although this kind of blade is beneficial to protect the protruding saber teeth, it also increases the risk of fracture and infection, and also causes the head to become heavier, which affects the flexibility of action to some extent. As members of marsupials, they have four pairs of molars like kangaroos, while most mammals, that is, "real mammals", generally have three pairs. In addition, the female saber-toothed tiger is likely to have a pouch that opens backwards like a marsupial. Like all extinct creatures, human beings know nothing about their own colors. Some people think they are as yellow as lions, while others restore the beautiful stripes of wombats or the white spots on the black background of Tasmanian devils. But anyway, they must be one of the most amazing animals when they are alive.

Saber-toothed tiger was undoubtedly the strongest carnivore in South America at that time. Its well-developed saber teeth and strong body enable it to prey on most local herbivores, even large southern ungulates and toothless animals. Because of the lack of strength in their jaws, they are likely to use their necks to help them bite and eat, which makes them even more eccentric. Strangely, saber-toothed tigers and other South American marsupials did not push the once dominant cranes to the brink of extinction, but reached a harmonious situation millions of years later. In contrast, Gorbachev, who was similar to a giant non-flying bird and once lived in the Paleocene Old World, disappeared shortly after the rise of carnivorous mammals. Perhaps, as the famous paleontologist Gould said, the dominance of mammals is not innate, but environmental changes have promoted their rise-and in South America and other places, birds have successfully suppressed mammals for tens of millions of years. As a powerful carnivore, saber-toothed tiger shared its dominant position with birds, but it never monopolized it.

By the end of Pliocene, that is, 2 million years ago, the isthmus of Panama was uplifted, connecting North and South America. All kinds of mammals in North America, including jaguar and American saber-toothed tiger, began to March angrily to the south. Because North America, like the old continent, has experienced tens of millions of years of vicissitudes and fierce competition among species, the tried and tested North American animals also make the South American animals in the "paradise" look like flowers in a greenhouse. Marsupials that are at a disadvantage in all aspects are naturally difficult to compete with these powerful invaders. So, soon, the saber-toothed tiger was thrown into the garbage dump of biological history with many native animals in South America. Perhaps what should make the saber-toothed tigers feel ashamed is that their old rival, the fear crane, which has never been defeated, has successfully survived. It not only migrated to North America for a time, but also lasted until the Late Pleistocene about10.5 million years ago. In this survival experiment, birds are at least more competitive than these highly specialized saber-toothed tiger marsupials, and cranes may have successfully changed from top predators to scavengers or forest hermits.

By the way, the saber-toothed tiger is not the largest marsupial carnivore in history. This crown belongs to the Australian marsupial lion. Although this marsupial carnivore, which was extinct only 50,000 years ago, did not grow terrible saber teeth, it was slightly larger and stronger, with an estimated maximum weight of 164kg! It's a lion among marsupials.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:33 reply to this speech

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Which of the two restored statues of the saber-toothed tiger do you think is more beautiful?

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:34 reply to this speech.

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Fourth, the nightmare of human ancestors.

Although there is a word "giant" in the name, the giant saber-toothed tiger is actually a small man in the saber-toothed tiger family, which is much shorter than the short saber-toothed tiger and saber-toothed tiger described below, and its length is only 1.2 meters, which is about the size of a leopard. They are called "giants" mainly because their heads and saber teeth are large compared with their bodies. They are also a successful saber-toothed tiger, which first appeared in the early Pliocene about 6 million years ago, and then their territory quickly expanded from the Mediterranean coast of Europe to the vast areas of Eurasia, Africa and North America, and some species continued until the early Pleistocene 6.5438+0 million years ago. In Africa, they have lived here for a long time, although they have met saber-toothed tigers with shorter swords, and cats and saber-toothed tigers that are more powerful than themselves. The giant saber-toothed tiger is a kind of dagger tooth. Its saber teeth are long and flat, very sharp, but fragile and easily broken. Some people suspect that they are not natural enemies of human ancestors, because such saber teeth are difficult to fight against the solid skulls of primates, and it is better to cut the throats of large herbivores. However, some scholars object. Using high-tech carbon isotope measurement methods, they found that the content of C 13 in the teeth of giant saber-toothed tigers was less than that of most carnivores-while apes and ancient humans ate leaves and fruits with low C 13 content, unlike herbivores who only ate various herbs with high C 13 content. In addition, they are only half the size of lions, so it seems more reasonable for them to occupy the niche of primate killers and leave herbivores to large beasts. Of course, the situation is not absolute, because all kinds of carnivores can adjust their diets according to the environment, and the extinct giant saber-toothed tiger should be no exception.

Giant saber-toothed tiger skull

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:35 reply to this speech.

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Compared with similar saber-toothed tigers, giant saber-toothed tigers are not "giant" at all.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:35 reply to this speech.

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

The giant saber-toothed tiger in Eurasia did not do anything earth-shattering. However, it was a great event for saber-toothed tigers to enter North America through the Bering Strait, because they later became the pride of families on this continent, and Similodon, the most powerful and famous saber-toothed tiger, could not be suppressed here.

Post related pictures:

Author: saber-toothed tiger vs giant tiger 2006-2- 14 20:35 reply to this speech.

-

Reply: saber-toothed tiger dynasty

Tooth-fearing black dinosaur

Compared with the giant saber-toothed tiger, scientists believe that another saber-toothed tiger in the same place is more likely to be a killer stained with the blood of human ancestors, that is, it is afraid of cats.

I'm afraid cats are as good at climbing trees as leopards, but they don't seem to be fast enough and agile enough. Their hunting methods are likely to be mainly sneak attack at night, rather than chasing and hand-to-hand combat. The remains of carnivores were found in some caves in South Africa.