Smilodon fatalis

$7,800.00

Sabertooth cats have been found worldwide from the Eocene epoch to the end of the Pleistocene epoch existing for about 42 million years. They were megafaunal hunters and their prey probably included sloths, mammoths, rhinos, and bison. The number of specimens found at La Brea Tar Pits suggests that Smilodon, like modern lions, was a social carnivore and probably hunted in packs.

The precise functional advantage of the saber-toothed cat’s bite, particularly in relation to prey size, is still a mystery. There are many hypotheses concerning the sabertooth’s killing methods and research is ongoing. According to researchers, the pattern of wear on the teeth of the sabertooth cat most closely resembled those of present-day African lions, which sometimes crush bones when they eat.

At the end of the late Pleistocene, about 12,000 years ago, Sabertooth cats and other large mammals went extinct, a die-off referred to as the Quaternary extinction. Scientists suspect that climate change and human competition were making life tough for the big predators.

This exquisite cast replica Smilodon fatalisis mold and cast from one of the largest, most complete specimens found in the La Brea Tar Pits.

Skull measures 13 1/4 X 7 3/4 X 6 1/4

Skeleton measures 67" L x 20" W x 53" H

$295 SKULL antique bone

$340 SKULL antique bone with stand

$309 SKULL tarpit

$354 SKULL tarpit with stand

$695 SKULL with custom display box

$6800 SKELETON antique bone

$7800 SKELETON tarpit