3D design of Barbourofelis fricki. Credit: Narimane Chatar
Research study performed by the University of Liège sheds brand-new light on the systems behind the bites of saber-toothed carnivores.
Narimane Chatar, a Ph.D. student at the EDDyLab of the University of Liège (Belgium) led a group of researchers to take a look at the biting capabilities of Smilodon, an extinct types of predator that belongs to modern-day felines. By utilizing advanced 3D scanning and simulation methods, the group discovered how Smilodon was able to bite successfully regardless of the large size of their teeth.
Throughout their development, ancient carnivorous mammals developed a varied range of skull and tooth shapes. However, few have actually been as striking as those of the renowned saber-toothed felid, Smilodon. Other groups of mammals, such as the extinct nimravids, also developed similar morphology, however with much shorter canines, similar to those of modern-day lions, tigers, caracals, domestic cats, etc.
This phenomenon of similar morphologies appearing in different groups of organisms is referred to as convergent advancement; felids and nimravids are amazing examples of merging. As there are no modern equivalents of animals with such saber-shaped teeth, the hunting approach of Smilodon and similar types have actually remained obscure and hotly discussed. It was first recommended that all saber-toothed types hunted in the same way, despite the length of their dogs, a hypothesis that is now controversial. The concern remained … how did this variety of saber-toothed feline hunt?
This is an exciting application of the limited aspect approach, which permits paleontologists to customize and computationally mimic different bite angles and to subject skull designs to virtual stresses without damaging the precious fossil specimens,” states Professor Jack Tseng, Professor and Curator of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the research study. Our extensive analyses offer the most comprehensive insight to date into the variety and nuances of saber tooth bite mechanics.”
One of the results gotten by the group is the understanding of the circulation of tension (pressure) on the mandible throughout biting. The researchers also kept in mind that stress decreased with increasing bite angle however just in saber-toothed types. The way in which these animals transferred force to the bite point and the deformation of the mandible resulting from the bite were remarkably similar throughout the dataset, suggesting comparable efficiency regardless of canine length.
The cooler colors on the heat maps of the saber-toothed types show lower tension and greater force, particularly when biting at higher angles. Credit: Massimo Molinero
The enormous dogs of the extinct saber-toothed cat Smilodon suggest that this animal had to open its jaw very wide, 110 ° according to some authors, in order to utilize them effectively,” explains Prof. Valentin Fischer, director of the EDDyLab at ULiège. The mechanical expediency and efficiency of Smilodon and its family members to bite at such a large angle is unidentified, leaving a space in our understanding of this very fundamental concern about saber-toothed predators.”
Using high-precision 3D scanners and analytical methods obtained from engineering, a worldwide group of Belgian and North American researchers has simply exposed how these animals most likely used their excellent weapons.
Narimane Chatar, a Ph.D. trainee at the EDDyLab of the University of Liege and lead author of the study, gathered a large quantity of three-dimensional data. She initially scanned and designed the skulls, mandibles, and muscles of various extinct and extant species of felids and nimravids.
The cooler colors on the heat maps of the saber-toothed types suggest lower tension and higher force, especially when biting at greater angles. Credit: Massimo Molinero
” Each species was evaluated in a number of scenarios: a bite was simulated on each tooth at three various biting angles: 30 °, as typically seen in extant felids, but also bigger angles (60 ° and 90 ° ). In total, we brought out 1,074 bite simulations to cover all the possibilities,” discusses Narimane Chatar.
To do this, the young researcher utilized the limited component method. This is an interesting application of the limited element technique, which permits paleontologists to modify and computationally simulate different bite angles and to subject skull designs to virtual tensions without damaging the precious fossil specimens,” says Professor Jack Tseng, Professor and Curator of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the study. Our detailed analyses supply the most comprehensive insight to date into the variety and subtleties of saber tooth bite mechanics.”
Among the outcomes obtained by the team is the understanding of the circulation of tension (pressure) on the mandible throughout biting. This tension reveals a continuum throughout the animals analyzed, with the greatest values measured in species with the quickest upper canines and the lowest tension values measured in the most severe saber-toothed species. The researchers also noted that tension decreased with increasing bite angle however just in saber-toothed types. However, the method which these animals transmitted force to the bite point and the deformation of the mandible resulting from the bite were extremely comparable across the dataset, showing comparable effectiveness no matter canine length.
” The results show both the possibilities and the limitations of development; animals facing comparable issues in their respective ecosystems often wind up looking alike through convergent evolution. Narimane Chatars results also show that there can be several methods to be an efficient killer, whether you are saber-toothed or not,” concludes Valentin Fischer.
This phenomenon, called many-to-one systems, indicates that unique morphologies can lead to a similar function, such as the truth that bears and felines are both effective fishers. This multiplicity of morphologies suggests that there is no single optimal type of saber-toothed predator.
Recommendation: “Many-to-one function of cat-like mandibles highlights a continuum of sabre-tooth adjustments” by Narimane Chatar, Valentin Fischer and Z. Jack Tseng, 7 December 2022, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.DOI: 10.1098/ rspb.2022.1627.