New evidence shows that saber-toothed cats may have been much more fierce than we originally thought. The cats belonging to Smilodon populator species—who likely used their elongated canines to tear through the soft spots on the bodies of their prey—may have also used those fearsome teeth to stab through the skulls of other saber-toothed rivals.

Nicolas Chimento, a paleontologist with the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Argentine Museum in Buenos Aires, was the lead author of the paper that examines injuries found in the skull of one saber-toothed cat inflicted by another who may have been defending territory or fighting for a mate.

Nicolas R. Chimento

"Although it cannot be ruled out that the injuries were caused by a potential prey kicking the skull, the size, shape and general features of the injuries suggest that they were inflicted by the upper canines of another Smilodon individual during agonistic interactions," noted Chimento et al.

Saber-tooth fangs could grow to almost a whole foot in larger adult cats but were previously believed to have been too weak to penetrate bone without breaking themselves. Smilodon populator, a native to the South American region of the world who roamed the earth during the Late Pleistocene period (~126,000 years ago), is closely related to Smilodon fatalis, which was native to North America.

Chimento believes that the North American saber-toothed cats may have also used their canines to break the skulls of their rivals though there is no concrete evidence of this—yet.

Source: Science News

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