In California’s La Brea tar pits, scientists have discovered a huge quantum of bones. It has been the largest discovery of bones and is the best preserved collection of saber- tooth. The data of collected bones from the tar pits of La Brea helped interested researchers to discover the history of the saber-tooth cat/tiger. By analyzing the data, scientists estimated that saber tooth cats/tigers appeared first two million years ago. Saber-tooth existed in a wide area of North and South America. They are related to Modern cats/tigers. However, no real descendants, due to natural calamities, of saber-tooth cat/tigers are alive at present. There are two groups of opinions on saber-tooth. One group describes saber tooth as a cat while the other call them as tiger. Whatever may be the case, our discussion focuses on the time when saber-tooth went extinct?

Fossil Evidence
According to evidence through fossils, it was 1.8 million years ago, but due to Quaternary extinction around 12000 years ago, the saber tooth cats/tigers went extinct along with other animals of the ice age. The ground sloths animals of ice age like deer and bison were also on the verge of extinction, remained the main hunted food for saber tooth. Less availability in food supply may also be one of the causes of the extinction of saber –tooth from the earth.

Saber-tooth sizes
Whether saber cats/tigers are still alive remains a question subsequently. As per the beliefs of the experts in the field, the extinction of saber -tooth took place with the close of the Ice age. It is estimated that 23 million animals with long canines disappeared. The Marsupial class of saber tooth which is named “Thylacosmilus” has also disappeared. There are some related questions also, when the question of saber tooth is concerned. The main question in this respect has been the size of tooth and size of such saber tooth cats/tigers. It is estimated that the size of the saber-tooth from 160 to 260 kilograms in weight and height around 10 feet. It is similar to that of lions in dimensions. Therefore, they had a larger body mass.

Co-existence of human and Saber-tooth
Some scientists believes that human beings coexisted with saber-tooth during that ice age, because the existence of human begins dates back to the ice age. Therefore, the coexistence of saber- tooth and human being together can be presumed. A recent report of Andrew Masterson, publisher of Cosmos Magazine claims the fact as genuine. We also know from history about the pre-civilized era of human existence during the ice age. With the passage of time and different natural calamities, the animal world was finished. But the animals like wooly mammoths, wooly rhinos, steppe bison, caribou, and wild horses survived.


# saber- tooth # animal# ice age # cat # tiger # height #weight # evidence # fossil # tar pits

When did Saber tooth tigers go extinct?