The Cave Lion (Panthera spelaea and Panthera fossilis)

[GuateGojira]

(06-30-2023, 05:26 AM)hibernours Wrote: Concerning Smilodon populator, i think in term of linear dimensions it was not as big as the largest specimens of Panthera fossilis or Panthera atrox and as far as i can remember, there is not a big difference in term of thickness about limb bones. So i don't understand how some people can claim that Smilodon populator could reach 130cm in height for the largest specimens...

Smilodon is still a mistery for me, as they are not like our modern cats, they morphology was different and the robustness of they bones were incredible. As you say, probably only the biggest cave lions and tigers could mach them, but the point is that when we compare they bones, Smilodon ones match them despite they size differences.

I could say that Smilodon were like tanks, they laked the gracile form of the Pantherines and Felines, they had short but robust heads and very powerfull limbs with relatively short bodies. 

I don't remember my last estimation, I think that was 120 cm in shoulder height, based in the calculation of the known specimens before 2019, but since the discovery of the new skull in 2020, some people extrapolate this new animal and at least one reconstruction put it at 130 cm in height. This is the two images that I have in my database:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

This is an image made by me, these are the biggest skull for each species and the difference is not as dramatic as we may think:

*This image is copyright of its original author

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