AI Generated Image
Inside the Painful End of the Saber-Toothed Cat
Newser • • science
Key Points:
- A study of over 3,700 vertebrae from Smilodon fatalis at the La Brea Tar Pits reveals high rates of congenital spinal deformities and rare nerve tumors, suggesting sustained inbreeding as populations declined near the end of the last ice age.
- These spinal abnormalities likely caused pain and impaired movement, forcing saber-toothed cats to rely on easier prey such as animals trapped in tar, potentially contributing to their extinction.
- The occurrence of spinal nerve tumors in the saber-toothed cats was 1,000 times higher than in modern humans, with tumors dating to 12,000-13,000 years ago, shortly before the species disappeared.
- The findings provide insight into the health consequences of population decline and offer a cautionary parallel for contemporary big carnivores facing genetic challenges due to shrinking populations.
