2026-05-28T09:59:04Zhttps://riuma.uma.es/rest/oai/requestoai:riuma.uma.es:10630/310322026-02-03T11:08:14Zcom_10630_2254col_10630_37953
RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
author
Figueirido-Castillo, Francisco Borja
author
Tucker, Shane
author
Lautenschlager, Stephan
2024-04-15T10:42:40Z
2024-04-15T10:42:40Z
2024-03
Figueirido, B., Tucker, S., & Lautenschlager, S. (2024). Comparing cranial biomechanics between Barbourofelis fricki and Smilodon fatalis: Is there a universal killing-bite among saber-toothed predators? The Anatomical Record, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25451
https://hdl.handle.net/10630/31032
10.1002/ar.25451
Saber-tooths, extinct apex predators with long and blade-like upper canines,
have appeared iteratively at least five times in the evolutionary history of verte brates. Although saber-tooths exhibit a relatively diverse range of morphol ogies, it is widely accepted that all killed their prey using the same predatory
behavior. In this study, we CT-scanned the skull of Barbourofelis fricki and
compared its cranial mechanics using finite element analysis (FEA) with that
of Smilodon fatalis. Our aim was to investigate potential variations in killing
behavior between two dirk-toothed sabretooths from the Miocene and Pleisto cene of North America. The study revealed that B. fricki had a stoutly-built
skull capable of withstanding stress in various prey-killing scenarios, while the
skull of S. fatalis appeared less optimized for supporting stress, which high lights the highly derived saber-tooth morphology of the former. The results
may indicate that B. fricki was more of a generalist in prey-killing compared to
S. fatalis, which experiences lower stresses under stabbing loads. We hypothe size that morphological specialization in saber-tooths does not necessarily indi cate ecological specialization. Our results support the notion that
morphological convergence among saber-toothed cats may obscure differences
in hunting strategies employed to dispatch their prey. Our findings challenge
the assumption of the universally assumed canine-shear biting as the prey killing behavior of all saber-toothed cats. However, further research involving
a wider range of dirk and scimitar-toothed forms could provide additional
insights into the diversity of cranial biomechanics within this fascinating
group of extinct mammalian predators.
eng
Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional
Craneo
Vertebrados - Evolución
Comparing cranial biomechanics between Barbourofelis fricki and Smilodon fatalis: Is there a universal killing-bite among saber-toothed predators?
journal article
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The Anatomical Record - 2024 - Figueirido - Comparing cranial.pdf