Researchers in China have discovered a fossilised skull of a sabertooth cat, which they say is the biggest ever found.

The skull measures around 40 centimetres long, which translates to an enormous estimated body mass of over 892 pounds, and body length of 3.1 metres - equivalent to a male polar bear.

While the cat has the distinctive fangs, its gape was much smaller than other cats, which suggests it targeted smaller prey.

Researchers in China have discovered a fossilised skull of a sabertooth cat, which they say is the biggest ever found. The skull measures around 40 centimetres long, which translates to an enormous estimated body mass of over 892 pounds

MACHAIRODUS HORRIBILIS The Machairodus horribilis was a menacingly large cat from the Late Miocene period, around 11.6 million to 5.3 million years ago. Like other sabertooth cats, the Machairodus horribilis had long serrate fangs, but its gape was much smaller. The cat would only be open its mouth about 70 degrees – comparable to what modern lions can do – rather than the huge 120 degrees that the Smilodon, an Ice Age sabertooth cat, could achieve. The researchers suggest that this shows that the Machairodus horribilis may have targeted smaller prey than later cats went for. Advertisement

The researchers, from the Chinese Academy of Science, found the fossil, which is roughly 8.3 million years old, in China's Longjiagou Basin.

Although it was slightly crushed, the researchers were able to identify the cat as a Machairodus horribilis – a menacingly large cat from the Late Miocene of northwestern China.

The huge skull is longer than any other known skull of both contemporary sabercats, but also those of the Ice Age.

Tao Deng, who led the study, told MailOnline: 'This sabertooth cat has a shoulder height of 1.3 m and a body length of 2.4 m (3.1 m with its tail).'

For comparison, this is roughly the same size as a male polar bear.

In their paper, published in Vertebrata Palasiatica, the researchers wrote: 'It shares some characteristics with derived sabertooth cats, but also is similar to extant pantherines in some cranial characters.'

Like other sabertooth cats, the Machairodus horribilis had long serrated fangs, but its gape was much smaller.

Overall the researchers believe that the findings could offer an additional mechanism for evolution, leading to functional diversity in sabertooth cats (artist's impression)

Although the skull was slightly crushed, the researchers were able to identify the cat as a Machairodus horribilis – a menacingly large cat from the Late Miocene of northwestern China

Like other sabertooth cats, the Machairodus horribilis had long serrated fangs, but its gape was much smaller. The cat would only be open its mouth about 70 degrees, rather than the huge 120 degrees that the Smilodon, an Ice Age sabertooth cat, could achieve

The cat would only be open its mouth about 70 degrees – comparable to what modern lions can do.

This is small compared to the 120 degrees that the Smilodon, an Ice Age sabertooth cat, could achieve.

The researchers suggest that this shows that the Machairodus horribilis may have targeted smaller prey than later cats went for.

The researchers write: 'Its anatomical features provide new evidence for the diversity of killing bites even within in the largest saber-toothed carnivorans.'

Overall the researchers believe that the findings could offer an additional mechanism for evolution, leading to functional diversity in sabertooth cats.

The fossilised skull was found in Longjiagou Town, in China's Longjiagou Basin