THE EXTINCTION SERIES: SABER TOOTH TIGER

The Smilodon (the proper name for the species) is part of the Falidae family that includes all cats, both living and extinct. It lived in North and South America and is commonly depicted as having lived side by side with humanity during the last ice age. In truth, the species is actually much older than that; fossil evidence dates it to around 1.8 million years ago. A similar but smaller species, Smilodon gracilis, lived 2.5 million years ago. Scientists have uncovered enough facts about the species formulate some ideas about how it passed from the world 10,000 years ago, but each theory has its challengers. Here are a few facts and descriptions about the saber tooth tiger to give you a visual impression.

• The Saber Tooth Tiger has been named after its long and sharp Canines.

• The body length of the Saber Tooth Tiger was 175 cm from nose to the rump.

• The height of its shoulders was up to 100 cm.

• Its two long canines could grow up to 20 cm or 8 inches, which helped in cutting and stabbing its preys.

• The canines grew up to their full size three years after birth.

• The lower canines were smaller in size and the molar teeth were smooth and resembled the modern day shearing blades.

• Its jaw could open up to an angle of 90 degrees in order to use the long teeth for hunting purposes. This gape is much larger than the modern cats.

• Its neck had strong muscles to bring down the heads of large preys.

• Its limbs were short but very well developed for hunting.

• Its tail grew up to a length of 35 cm.

• The fully grown Saber Tooth Tiger size was about that of a modern day African Lion(Panthera Leo).

• The smallest species, S. gracilis found in North America weighed 55 to 100 kg. And the largest species from South America, S. populator weighed 220 to 400 kg.

• The coat color pattern of the Saber Tooth Tiger is yet unknown.

• The running of speed of the Saber Tooth Tiger is not accurately known. However, as it was a heavy cat, so it was slower than the Lion and Tiger. Its top speed was about 25 to 30 mph.

• The average lifespan of a Saber Tooth Tiger is unknown Saber Tooth Tiger Adaptations

• The Saber Tooth Tiger had a bob-tail which suggests that it used to ambush its its prey instead of chasing it like modern Lions and Tigers.

• It had 20 cm long canine teeth which had a oval cross-section which could be used as knives. They were useful for slicing meat but also fragile. They could easily break while hunting. They could also be used for social display as horns.

• Its killing behavior determines that its bite wasn’t as strong as a modern lion. That is why they wrestled the prey to ground before delivering the killing bite with their sharp canines. However, it is unknown how the finishing bite was delivered.

• About social behavior, it has been discovered that the Saber Tooth Tiger was a social animal and used to hunt in packs. Fossils have shown evidence of regrowth and healing, which suggests they lived for a long time after getting injured. Other members of the pack brought food for the injured Smilodon. However, it has been discovered they were also not very peaceful. Sometimes, they fought among themselves for food or mates like modern lions.

The Smilodon went extinct around the end of the last glacial period in what was known as the Quaternary extinction event. Fifteen kinds of large mammals went extinct in North America during that 1,500-year window. To put this in perspective: only 33 total went extinct during the past 50,000 years. The saber-tooth had survived previous glacial periods, but this extinction event included changes in temperature and, in turn, vegetation, which directly affected the smilodon's prey. The event created large consequences throughout the local food chain, which could have ultimately killed off the big cats.

A change in The Weather

Glaciers began receding across continents around the time of the Quaternary extinction event. Seasons changed, and precipitation changes could have altered the condition of local ecosystems. Over a 5,000 year period, the temperature rose more than six degrees, which, some scientists speculate, had big consequences for larger animals. If climate change did lead to the Smilodon extinction, then something specific must have occurred that was not present in previous glacial periods. A more esoteric hypothesis is that diseases led to these mass extinctions, but there is little proof of that.

Food Supplies Dried Up

The diet of the Smilodon included bison, deer, and ground sloths, many of which either went extinct or began experiencing population drops around the same time the as the sabre-tooth, leading some to believe this lead to the latter specie's demise. Bison numbers dropped dramatically as grasslands transformed into forests, suggesting environmental factors constrained bison populations. When humans eventually reached North America, they represented further competition, vying with the Smilodon over dwindling sources of food.

Hunters Become The Hunted

The extinction of the saber-tooth tiger also happens to align with the period when humans started to make huge strides in hunting technology. This was around the time of the Clovis tribes, a group of early humans known for their simple projectile weapons. Humans would not have hunted the saber-tooth tiger for food, but may have killed them for protection or sport. Some researchers refute this hypothesis, asserting that humans did not have the means or the desire to drive other animals to extinction at the time.

However you choose to think of how the saber tooth tiger went extinct one fact remains clear, that these majestic beasts lived on this planet and there look inflicted fear and agony among its prey and victims. Out of all the theories proposed for extinction of the tiger climate change is the most applicable. Linking it to the world today human activities which are resulting to increase in temperatures are affecting animals all across the world. Some of whom are key stone species whose extinction may cause ripple effects on the ecosystem. Such animals include:

Columbia spotted frog, staghorn coral, American pika, penguins, sea turtles, koala, seal, polar bear and cheetahs.These animals are at the greatest risk of going extinct within the next 10 years if no action is taken. Let history not repeat itself . The question then lingers how do we save the species that are currently going extinct? This will be discussed at the end of the extinction series as we look at ways of saving the "dying" species. #savetheplanet.