By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 26 Nov 2012 • 13:15
THE diet of Sabre- tooth tigers was horses.
By studying fossil sites in Cerro de los Batallones near Madrid, researchers found the big cats – which lived nine million years ago – had a taste for prehistoric horses. The skeletons of two sabre-toothed tigers – one the size of a modern day leopard and the other a tiger – were studied including the carbon from the animals’ tooth enamel.
“Analysis indicated that horses were very feasible prey of these cats,” said Dr Soledad Domingo of the University of Michigan. “The smaller cat probably incorporated additional prey species from more dense woodland,” the scientists added.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.