Despite often being called the “saber-toothed tiger,” it was not closely related to modern tigers or any living cats. Instead, it belonged to the now-extinct subfamily Machairodontinae.
Smilodon roamed the Americas during the Pleistocene and early Holocene epochs, living between 2.5 million and 8,200 years ago. Smilodon was a stocky and muscular predator, built more for ambush than speed. Unlike modern big cats that rely on long chases, it likely used its immense strength to wrestle prey to the ground before delivering a killing bite with its massive canines. These teeth were powerful but also fragile, meaning Smilodon had to be precise in its attacks, targeting the soft throats of large herbivores like bison, horses, and ground sloths.
Smilodon went extinct around 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and the disappearance of its large prey following the last Ice Age. Human activity, including hunting, may have also played a role in its extinction. Despite its fearsome reputation, Smilodon’s reign as a top predator eventually came to an end, leaving behind only fossils as a testament to its once-dominant presence.
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