Sabertooths Were Less Aggressive than American Lions

A recent scientific investigation has found that Smilodon fatalis, more commonly known as the sabertoothed tiger, was probably a lot less aggressive than its feline counterpart, the American lion. Both species are long since extinct, but it would appear that popular culture has portrayed their traits disproportionately, the study has revealed. Sabertoothed tigers roamed North and South America between 1.6 million and 10,000 years ago, as fossil records indicate, LiveScience reports.

The research was based on the compared analysis of bones and teeth, to establish which of the animals was most fearsome, at least as far as stature was concerned. It was established that male and female sabertooths were almost indistinguishable in size, much like tigers are today. On the other hand, when it came to the lions, males were found to be considerably larger than the females, which could hint at a greater deal of specialization when it came to hunting and chasing prey.

The size of the American lion males may have stemmed from the fact that they had to compete for their mates. This trait has endured to this day, as evidenced by the fact that all species for which competition is key to reproduction have larger males, compared with the females. A bigger size means more strength, as well as a better chance of fending off rivals and impressing prospective mates. According to Julie Meachen-Samuels, a coauthor of the new research, studying the fossil record may be tricky, because animals grow as they age.

The expert is a biologist at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. She says that, judging only by bone sizes, it's easy to confuse a young male with an old female. That is why teeth are used to tell them apart. “Teeth fill in over time. In young animals the tooth cavity is basically hollow, but as they get older it fills in with dentin. It won't give you an exact age, but it can give you a relative age in terms of young, middle-aged or old,” the scientist explains. Details of the work are published in the November 5 issue of the scientific Journal of Zoology.