The skeleton of a creature commonly known as a 'saber-toothed tiger' is going up for auction next week, with bidding expecting to go as high as $90,000.
The bones, discovered on a South Dakota ranch last year, belong to a Hoplophoneus and are estimated to be almost 40 million years old.
The fossil measures about four feet long and is largely preserved, with nearly 90 percent of the skeleton intact.
It's one of a number of fanged prehistoric predators popularly called saber-toothed cats or tigers—the most famous being Smilodon— though none are technically members of the cat family.
They're part of an extinct genus of the Nimravidae family that stalked North America starting about 56 million years ago, devouring primitive horses, sloths and rhinos.
A ranch owner was walking on his property when he saw bones sticking out of the ground, according to the AFP, probably unearthed by erosion.
'This is probably one of the best pieces of this species that was discovered on this site,' the seller, Yann Cuenin, told Reuters. 'The preservation is particularly good, the fossilization quality is very neat, the mineralization is perfect.'
Nearly 90 percent of its skeleton was found, with the missing bones replaced using a 3D printer.
Smilodon fatalis lived in North and South America before going extinct about 10,000 years ago.
Though its one of several fanged predators often called 'saber-toothed tigers,' none are closely related to the tiger or other modern cats.
And while it may have been capable of slaying horses and rhinos, Smilodon only got its famous fangs around age three.
But once they emerged, their protruding canines grew quickly — and could reach up to seven inches in length.
Although well-preserved fossils are available, very little is known about the ages at which the animals reached key developmental stages.
Researchers from Clemson University examining specimens recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits used data from isotope analyses and information from previous studies to calculate when the Smilodon's permanent upper canines came in, as well as other growth events.
They believe that the intimidating hunters got most of their teeth by 14 to 22 months of age, with the exception of their famous 'fangs.'
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Source: Daily Mail, Wikipedia, Reuters
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The bones, discovered on a South Dakota ranch last year, belong to a Hoplophoneus and are estimated to be almost 40 million years old.
The fossil measures about four feet long and is largely preserved, with nearly 90 percent of the skeleton intact.
It's one of a number of fanged prehistoric predators popularly called saber-toothed cats or tigers—the most famous being Smilodon— though none are technically members of the cat family.
They're part of an extinct genus of the Nimravidae family that stalked North America starting about 56 million years ago, devouring primitive horses, sloths and rhinos.
A ranch owner was walking on his property when he saw bones sticking out of the ground, according to the AFP, probably unearthed by erosion.
'This is probably one of the best pieces of this species that was discovered on this site,' the seller, Yann Cuenin, told Reuters. 'The preservation is particularly good, the fossilization quality is very neat, the mineralization is perfect.'
Nearly 90 percent of its skeleton was found, with the missing bones replaced using a 3D printer.
Smilodon fatalis lived in North and South America before going extinct about 10,000 years ago.
Though its one of several fanged predators often called 'saber-toothed tigers,' none are closely related to the tiger or other modern cats.
And while it may have been capable of slaying horses and rhinos, Smilodon only got its famous fangs around age three.
But once they emerged, their protruding canines grew quickly — and could reach up to seven inches in length.
Although well-preserved fossils are available, very little is known about the ages at which the animals reached key developmental stages.
Researchers from Clemson University examining specimens recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits used data from isotope analyses and information from previous studies to calculate when the Smilodon's permanent upper canines came in, as well as other growth events.
They believe that the intimidating hunters got most of their teeth by 14 to 22 months of age, with the exception of their famous 'fangs.'
Source: Daily Mail, Wikipedia, Reuters
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
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