Freak Felids - A Discussion of History's Largest Felines

[Smilodon-Rex]

(05-20-2018, 09:25 PM)GrizzlyClaws Wrote: Since Smilodon fatalis and Smilodon populator were likely derived from the more primitive Smilodon gracilis, and ironically both species had predated Panthera atrox in the history of America.

But why Smilodon fatalis just let the newly arrived Panthera atrox seized the niche position as the top predator in its domain, while Smilodon populator remained occupying that position?

Maybe fatalis was positioned to be the second fiddle, while populator chose to evolve as the apex predator?

Compared with Short-face bears, Grizzly bears  may have more conflicts with American lions, because their adaptations are better and their aggressives may stronger.In Pleistocene, Grizzly bears were bigger than today and their bodysizes were equivalent to modern kodiak bears.
When Grizzly bears met American lions, they may had to conflict frequently. At the final stage of Pleistocene, lots of the herds of herbivores began moving from south to north in today USA and Canada, then the carnivores which contain American lions following too, at the same time, Grizzly bears were moving from north to south, thus led to the conflicts between Grizzly bears and American lions were frequent. BTW, human beings were also went deep into New mainland too，all of these  let American lions faced higher risk of competition and survival in no doubt. Reply