Thylacosmilus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thylacosmilus |
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| Thylacosmilus atrox Field Museum of Natural History |
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Thylacosmilidae
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Thylacosmilus
Riggs, 1933
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Thylacosmilus was an amazing animal that lived a long, long time ago. It was a type of meat-eating mammal called a sparassodont. Scientists have found its fossils in Argentina, South America.
This animal lived from about 10 million to 3 million years ago. This time is known as the late Miocene to late Pliocene epochs.
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Meet Thylacosmilus: An Ancient Hunter
Thylacosmilus was a lot like the famous saber-toothed cats you might know, like Smilodon. It was about the same size as a modern jaguar. But Thylacosmilus was not a cat! It was a different kind of mammal.
Its Amazing Teeth
The most striking thing about Thylacosmilus was its huge, long canine teeth. These teeth were very strong and pointed. It used them like daggers to stab its prey.
What's really special is that these teeth kept growing throughout the animal's life. Most mammals, like us, have teeth that stop growing when they are adults.
Protecting Its Daggers
When Thylacosmilus closed its mouth, its long canine teeth needed protection. It had a special bony "flange" or edge on its lower jaw. This flange acted like a shield, keeping the long teeth safe.
How It Hunted
Thylacosmilus was a powerful hunter. It would grab its prey and use its strong neck muscles. Then, it would make deep bites into the soft parts of the animal with its sharp canine teeth.
When Thylacosmilus Disappeared
Thylacosmilus died out during the late Pliocene epoch. This was before saber-toothed cats, like Smilodon, even arrived in South America.
There was a gap of over 1.5 million years between when Thylacosmilus disappeared and when Smilodon first appeared. This means they never met!
Images for kids
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Partially reconstructed holotype skull, Field Museum of Natural History
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Holotype skull in multiple views
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Comparison of the skulls of the two saber-toothed mammals Megantereon and Thylacosmilus
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Size (orange) compared to that of a human and other predators
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Details in the skull and teeth, compared with Megantereon
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Skull cast mounted with open jaws, North American Museum of Ancient Life
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Restoration
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Vertebrae
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Restoration of the head
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See also
In Spanish: Thylacosmilus para niños
