Everything You Need to Know About the Saber Tooth Tiger Extinction

Saber-Tooth Cats went extinct less than 10,000 years ago, but scientists are unsure why. Learn what their teeth reveal about their diet and unique hunting behaviors.

By Connor Lynch
Dec 21, 2022 2:00 PMJul 10, 2023 1:16 PM
Saber tooth cat
(Credit: Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

One of the major challenges to studying extinct carnivores is that there are simply less of them, explains Vanderbilt University paleontologist and paleoecologist Larisa DeSantis. Trophic levels — the different levels in an ecosystem, from primary producers to apex predators — shrink the higher up they are in the energy pyramid because energy is lost as heat at each level.

“If you go outside today,” she says, “you're more likely to see grass and trees than you are to see deer, and you're more likely to see deer than you are to see coyotes.”

But at Rancho La Brea, better known as the La Brea Tar Pits, the situation is reversed. When the tar seep trapped prehistoric herbivores, that in turn attracted carnivores, says DeSantis, who grew up in Los Angeles with the site practically in her backyard.

Saber Tooth Cats

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2023 Kalmbach Media Co.