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Ancient cats [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-03-27
Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Daily Kos has an outstanding reputation as being pootie-friendly (that is, a good place for cats). Today let’s look at some ancient cats.
The first fossil from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles was confirmed in 1875 by geologist William Denton. This first fossil was an ancient saber-toothed cat. In 1924, George Allan Hancock donated 23 acres of his family’s ranch to the County of Los Angeles so that it could become a public park which would protect the tar pits and safeguard the fossils. In 1977, the Page Museum (also known as the Tar Pits Museum) opened to the public. The displays at the Museum include fossils from two species of ancient cats.
California Saber-tooth
The Saber-toothed Cat (Smilodon fatalis) is the California state fossil. This animal was as large as an African lion and was more heavily built. According to the Museum display:
“It was an active predator that relied on stealth and ambush rather than speed to catch its prey of bison, camels, horses and ground sloths.”
According to the Museum display:
“The California Saber-tooth may be viewed as a powerful and efficient hunting machine. Each bone in its body functions in a specific manner.”
Among its prey were young mammoths and mastodons. According to the Museum display:
“After a Saber-tooth used its powerful forelimbs to pull down its prey, it probably stabbed at the unprotected, softer under side of the animal. It then retreated until after the young animal died in order to escape the wrath of the mother and other members of the herd.”
Shown above is the skull of Smilodon californicus.
Shown above is the skull of the Saber-toothed cat with an open mouth.
Shown above is a Saber-tooth skull which is 36,000 years old.
The diorama shown above depicts a Saber-tooth attacking a ground sloth.
Naegele’s Giant Jaguar
Naegele’s Giant Jaguar (Panthera atrox) was formerly known as the American “lion”. It is actually more closely related to the living jaguar. It was larger than the African lion, Siberian tiger, or saber-toothed car. At Rancho La Brea, more than 80 of these animals have been recovered.
Shown above are the jaguar’s front paws.
Shown above is Naegele’s Giant Jaguar (on left) next to a Saber-toothed cat (on right).
Shown above is another view of the two cats showing the larger size of Naegele’s Giant Jaguar.
Another view of the two cats. Notice the long tail on the jaguar.
Open Thread
This is an open thread—all topics are welcome.
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