Smilodon sabertooth bite marks on bones + aquatic bird limb bone inner structure

[Ben Creisler]

Ben Creisler

bcre...@gmail.com

Non-dino papers of interest:

Free pdf:

Yolanda Fernández-Jalvo, M. Dolores Marin-Monfort, Martina Demuro, Gustavo Gómez, Ricardo Bonini, Jonathan Bellinzoni, Sara García-Morato, María A. Gutiérrez, Fernando J. Fernández, M. Teresa Alberdi, Marta Moreno-García, Esperanza Cerdeño, Claudia I. Montalvo, Lee J. Arnold, Pamela Steffan & Jose L. Prado (2026)
Smilodon sabertooth bite marks, new perspectives on prey-predator models in South American Pleistocene
BMC Ecology and Evolution (advance online publication)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-026-02551-7
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12862-026-02551-7

Abstract

Background

Traditionally, saber-toothed cats, particularly species of the genus Smilodon, were considered unable to bite through bones due to the apparent fragility of their teeth. We analyze here megafauna fossil remains of Salto de Piedra palaeontological site (Humid Pampas), one of the few extensively radiometrically dated Pleistocene sites in Argentina and systematically excavated. Salto de Piedra is located near contemporary human occupation sites that have yielded megafauna remains. This spatial and chronological proximity provides an exceptional scenario to compare the prey ranges hunted by humans and by Smilodon.

Results

Here we provide Smilodon populator tooth mark patterning on their megaherbivore preys. Mark morphology demonstrates that Smilodon canines penetrated and processed cortical bone, refuting interpretations that considered them functionally fragile. These tooth marks have been compared with other carnivores and saber-toothed felid fossil sites. This spatial and chronological control provides direct evidence of predatory activity and constrains its temporal span, enabling evaluation of the ecological role of this hypercarnivore.

Conclusion

This extraordinary discovery provides direct evidence of Smilodon ‘s predation, and confirms that it was an apex predator, focused almost exclusively on megafauna. These tooth marks can be identified and extrapolated to other fossil sites. Furthermore, this diagnostic tooth-mark pattern enables reconstruction of prey preferences. Our results indicate that Smilodon exerted sustained predatory pressure across a broad range of megaherbivores. Despite the spatial proximity and temporal overlap between Smilodon predation (22.2–13.3 ka BP) at Salto de Piedra and human arrival to this area (~ 14 ka BP), no interactions between these two predators has been observed indicating certain avoidance between them. The complex predator-prey trophic interactions during the Late Pleistocene–Holocene transition in the Pampas region of South America, support multicausal models, integrating ecological and anthropogenic drivers.

Teaser

Evidence from the iconic saber-toothed cat, Smilodon, reveals that megafauna was shared by them and human hunting.

Significant statement

The Salto de Piedra site, located in the Humid Pampas of Argentina, has yielded an exceptional find: a key contribution, as no study of this kind had ever been carried out on Smilodon before. In this paper, we describe and characterise the diagnostic pattern of bite marks attributable to Smilodon populator (saber-toothed) on the bones of its prey. Until now, no bite marks on their prey bones had ever been described for this iconic predator, which was thought to have particularly fragile canines for marking bone. Our study shows that Smilodon fed on a wide range of megaherbivores, far greater than that found in contemporary human settlements near Salto de Piedra.

=====

=====

Martin Segesdi & Alexandra Houssaye (2026)
How does the inner structure of the limb bones of aquatic birds relate to their locomotor abilities?
The Anatomical Record (advance online publication)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.70282
https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.70282


Aquatic birds encompass diverse ecologies and locomotion types. Some of them are flightless; others lack effective terrestrial locomotion, whereas numerous species perform well in water, on land, and in the air. Bone microanatomy provides insight into bone functional adaptations to different locomotor strategies. Previous studies on aquatic birds have relied mainly on 2D transverse sections. In this study, we aim to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the microanatomical characteristics of limb long bones using several virtual sectional planes and whole-bone measurements to investigate in more detail the link between inner structure and locomotor abilities. In the humerus, femur, and tibiotarsus, whole bone compactness is higher in species with better diving abilities, likely reflecting adaptations to counteract buoyancy and drag. In these bones, flightless penguins exhibit the highest compactness, consistent with the release from flight-related constraints. The tarsometatarsus shows a distinct pattern and is more compact in foot-propelled and less terrestrial birds, whereas non-foot-propelled, terrestrial penguins show a lower compactness than in their other bones. Trabecular structure and orientation in the humerus appear to reflect general wing kinematics and wing-propelled locomotion, while hindlimb bones show structural traits probably related to body weight support and foot-propelled swimming. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the adaptations of the birds' skeletal system to various lifestyles and could prove useful in inferring the ecology of extinct species.

======