Imagine those canines going through your femur. And what's that chin all about. WOW!
Millions of years ago, strange-pouched predator stalked South America with fangs bigger than those of the fearsome saber-toothed cat did. It stabbed its prey with its huge, saber-like teeth.
Now, new study reveals a bit more about the predator's dental profile and its hunting strategies, which may reveal a little bit more about saber-toothed animals in general. This ancient carnivore packed most of its power in a robust set of arms, strong neck muscles and knack for precision, researchers say.
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The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
Known as Thylacosmilus atrox, this animal looked and behaved like nothing alive today. Its closest living relatives are the Australian and American marsupials, but even they fail to show precisely the animal's behavior and skills of hunting.
Thylacosmilus atrox had larger teeth proportionally to its body in comparison with saber-tooth tiger Smilodon fatalis, making it one of the more interesting saber-toothed animals to study.
These animals were separated by at least 125 million years of evolution.
In the new study, scientists constructed and compared sophisticated computer models of both the saber-toothed tiger and Thylacosmilus to learn their behavior and hunting strategies. These models were then "crash-tested" in simulations of biting and killing behavior. This allowed the scientists to determine exactly how these creatures may have subdued their prey.
"We found that both saber-tooth species were similar in possessing weak jaw-muscle-driven bites compared to the leopard, but the mechanical performance of the saber-tooths' skulls showed that they were both well-adapted to resist forces generated by very powerful neck muscles," said Stephen Wroe, leader of the research team, in a news release. "But compared to the placental Smilodon, Thylacosmilus was even more extreme."
Thylacosmilus' bite was less powerful than a domestic cat, yet its skull easily outperformed the saber-tooth tiger in response to strong forces from hypothetical neck muscles, say researchers.
Then, how did they hunt? Thylacosmilus first held its prey to the ground with its powerful arms and then, with great precision, tore down with its relatively delicate teeth. This allowed it to make a quick meal.
Thylacosmilus became extinct 3.5 million years ago, and it had the largest canines of any known saber-toothed beast. Its fangs constantly grew throughout its lifetime and had roots extending even into its skull. The teeth also fit over long sheath-like ridges that extended down from the animal's lower jaw.
"It may not have been the smartest of mammalian super-predators-but in terms of specialization, Thylacosmilustook the already extreme saber-tooth lifestyle to a whole new level," said Wroe in a news release.
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