The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17538939013)

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo05amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library



Text Appearing Before Image:
44 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL ruminants, which are the most abundant herbivores of to-day, seldom molesting the short-necked, thick-skinned pachyderms such as the rhinoceros and the elephant. The Sabre - Tooth appears to have used his great canine fangs in a quite different method of attack; the whole structure of the animal indicates that he struck them forcibly into the side of his prey, the mouth gaping wide meanwhile, and then presumably withdrew them with a ripping, tearing stroke, leaving a great gash whereby a
Text Appearing After Image:
FIG. 20. THE HEAD OF SMILODON. OUTLINE RESTORATION To show the widely gaping jaw. By Chas. R. Knight large animal would soon bleed to death. By this method he would be peculiarly fitted to attack the great pachyderms, with which his exceptional muscular strength especially fitted him to cope while his lack of speed and agility would render him much less dangerous to the swift-footed ruminants and horses of the time. We may infer therefore that, while the true Cats were evolved to prey upon the larger swift running quadrupeds and developed speed and agility to catch their prey, the Sabre-Tooth was evolved to prey upon the powerful and massive contingent of the Herbivora, and developed enormous muscular strength and peculiar weapons of attack to cope with these animals. The true Cats are not common as fossils, and our collections