There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
11-12-2018, 10:46 AM( This post was last modified: 11-12-2018, 10:50 AM by Wolverine )
(11-11-2018, 12:10 PM)brotherbear Wrote: Big question is, loner or pack-hunter?
Its really important, but is hard to be proved in either way. If we take into account the Possibility theory the chance to be pack-hunters is minimal. From 36 current species of family Felidae only 1 specie - lion is a truly pack hunter while other 35 species of cats are solitary hunters. So possibility Smilodon populator to be a pack-hunter is only 3% while the chance to be solitary hunter is 97%.
If one day will be proved that Panthera fossilis/spelaea and Panthera Atrox were a pack hunters that will mean that they had a "lion brains" and would be one of the most important evidences that these predators were only lion subspecies, while proving that they were a solitary hunters would be a serious evidence that they were completely different species of animals.
The problem in paleontology is that anything concerning ethology of ancient animals is highly unprovable.