http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/04/wrestling-ninjas-%e2%80%93-why-sabre-toothed-predators-have-massive-arms/ Dive into the awe-inspiring, beautiful and quirky world of science news with award-winning writer Ed Yong. No previous experience required. Sat, 26 May 2012 10:52:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/04/wrestling-ninjas-%e2%80%93-why-sabre-toothed-predators-have-massive-arms/comment-page-1/#comment-70309 Jess Tauber Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:33:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=6126#comment-70309 Some years ago I suggested, in a letter to the editor in Science or Nature (don't remember which) that sabertooth cats would have had jaws equivalent to office staple pullers- the staple here being some major blood vessel or nerve cord. Modern cats don't just go for the snout- some also pierce the spinal cord- an quicker way to bring your prey down than waiting for it to suffocate. I've never seen anyone look into the staple-puller idea since. Some years ago I suggested, in a letter to the editor in Science or Nature (don’t remember which) that sabertooth cats would have had jaws equivalent to office staple pullers- the staple here being some major blood vessel or nerve cord. Modern cats don’t just go for the snout- some also pierce the spinal cord- an quicker way to bring your prey down than waiting for it to suffocate. I’ve never seen anyone look into the staple-puller idea since.

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/04/wrestling-ninjas-%e2%80%93-why-sabre-toothed-predators-have-massive-arms/comment-page-1/#comment-69950 Rich Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:19:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=6126#comment-69950 I would have never guessed that the 2 big teeth would have been so fragile. I always imagined they would have been used to cause some major damage, but to think they would have shattered simply by prey struggling to free themselves. Interesting post, thanks for sharing these findings. I would have never guessed that the 2 big teeth would have been so fragile. I always imagined they would have been used to cause some major damage, but to think they would have shattered simply by prey struggling to free themselves. Interesting post, thanks for sharing these findings.

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