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(06-16-2022, 01:06 PM)Utkarsh Wrote: The measurement of the skull is 495.3 mm
Also how Smilodon populator could be the largest cat when the 436 kg could be overexaggeration
Also Mobsach Lion, American lion and bornean tiger are the only three I see as contendors for the largest cat
As Smilodon populator weight could be temporary
Also there is a site named the extinction giving rthe weight of 450 kg with multiple experts as proof and giving the average of 332 kg
482 specimen was first calculated as 610 which was completely as overexaggeration
Later it came to 482.5 kg
I don't know which one to believe and which one to not as every other site says something different
About the skull of 495.3 mm, may you please show the next information:
1 - source of this measurement?
2 - To what species belong?
3 - Who and how was measured?
4 - If is possible, a picture of the specimen?
About the weight of Smilodon populator, there is nothing against the idea that they could weight over 400 kg, in fact, relative smaller specimens reached the c.360 kg figure (using the formulas of Christiansen & Harris, 2005), so we can estimate that the bigger specimens could reach even 450 kg! Remember that this species had a relative small head in relation with its body and its bones were so robust that they aproach those of large bear species.
Yes, Smilodon populator, Panthera spelaea fossilis and Panthera tigris sp. from Borneo are the three contenders for the largest cat, all of them surpassing 400 kg. Previous estimations of Machaidorus and Amphimachairodus that suggested weights over 400 kg are debatable.
About this site named "The Extinction" that you mention, can you please share the link in order to see which are those multiple experts and they calculations? The average of 332 kg is for Smilodon populator or another cat?
I understand that there are going to be differences between websites, I advice you to try to stay with the published documents and they information. However, if is possible, try to dig more about the methods and formulas used. Other thing is that you need to identify if there are "fan bases" involved in the forums or webpages, because that can create bias in the posts of the sites and they "results".
Finally, is important to be critical on the information, do not accept it just like that. For example, the "Cave lions" (atrox and spelaea mixed togheter like a crazy soup) are normally quoted to be "25% bigger than modern lions" in many many many books, but none of them clarify where this statement came (just to let you know, it came from Dr Kurten, and that because I dig it, nobody mention it). But when we check the fossils, the biggest Panthera atrox and biggest Panthera spelaea specimens are in fact c.15% and c.20% bigger than the biggest lion (this last percentage is debatable). So we need to understand that many of those estimations are based in average calculations on some especimens or even estimated body masses. In this case, the figure of 25% is based in the fact that the male Panthera atrox was calculated with an average body mass of 235 kg in some old documents, and the value used for African lions in those same documents was of 188 kg for the calculations, giving a difference of the 25%, while in body measurements the difference is much less. This is just an example of why we need to be carefull on the statements even in per-review documents.
I will wait for the information on the giant skull that you mention.
American Lion (Panthera atrox)
