Record and paleoecological insights of a sub‐adult specimen of Smilodon populator Lund, 1842 found in a cave in Bahia, Brazil

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Publication Date

2-1-2023

Publication Title

Journal of Quaternary Science

Volume Number

38

Issue Number

2

Abstract

The present paper describes new fossil materials (skull and some postcranial elements) collected in November 2020 in Engrunado cave in Nova Redenção municipality, Bahia, Brazil. This material was attributed to a sub‐adult specimen of Smilodon populator Lund, 1842, estimated to be 17–18 months old and with a body mass of 185 kg when it died. Based on its body mass, this individual could have hunted animals with a typical and maximum potential prey body mass of 302 and 1004 kg, respectively. Furthermore, it may have had a high dietary niche overlap with adult specimens of S. populator and other large carnivorans, such as Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758), probably hunting different species to avoid competition with them.

Document Type

Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3474

Language

English

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