Smilodon

Smilodon is a genus of extinct saber-toothed cats that lived in North and South America during the Pleistocene epoch. The name combines Greek words for “knife” and “tooth.” Smilodon belongs to the subfamily Machairodontinae and is among the best-known saber-toothed cats, with several described species, including Smilodon fatalis, Smilodon gracilis, and Smilodon populator.

Anatomy and adaptations are distinctive. Smilodon were robust, short-legged felids with powerful forelimbs and large claws, built for grappling with large prey. They possessed very long upper canine teeth, up to about 20–28 cm, which were slender and blade-like. The skull and jaws were adapted for a strong bite with a relatively wide gape, enabling a precise, stabbing kill to the neck or chest of prey while the forelimbs restrained the animal.

Ecology and behavior are inferred from fossils and wear patterns. Smilodon hunted large herbivores such as horses, camels, bison, ground sloths, and other megafauna that roamed during the Pleistocene. They are thought to have employed an ambush strategy, relying on stealth and a powerful bite rather than sustained pursuit.

Fossil evidence is widespread in North America, with notable deposits at the La Brea Tar Pits in California. Smilodon became extinct near the end of the Pleistocene, around 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change, changes in prey availability, and possibly human impacts.