Smilodon Claw and Tooth Replicas

Description

Smilodon claw and tooth replicas are museum-quality polyurethane resin casts from the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County specimen. 1:1 scale. Made in USA. The tooth measures 10.0 x 1.50 x 1.05 inches and the claw measures 2.8 x 0.65 x 1.10 inches.

Smilodon or Smilodon fatalis is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the felids. It is one of the best known saber-toothed predators and most famous prehistoric mammals. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely related to the tiger or other modern cats.

Smilodon lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 mya – 10,000 years ago). The genus was named in 1842 based on fossils from Brazil. Three species are recognized today: S. gracilis, S. fatalis, and S. populator.

Smilodon dinosaurs used their long canine teeth and sharp claws as deadly hunting tools. These big cats possessed exceptionally long upper canine teeth built for precision killing.

The flat width allowed the massive teeth to withstand heavy pressure while piercing tough hide. The blades featured fine serrations on the front and back edges to slice flesh easily. They opened their jaws twice as wide as modern cats to use these long weapons effectively.

The predators relied on their heavy, retractable arm claws to grasp and subdue large herbivores. They pounced on targets and pinned them to the ground using their heavily muscled forelimbs. This wresting method kept their canine teeth from hitting bone and snapping during the struggle.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Carnivora
• Suborder: Feliformia
• Family: Felidae
• Subfamily: †Machairodontinae
• Genus: †Smilodon
• Type species: S. fatalis (Leidy, 1869)
• Conservation Status: Extinct

The Smilodon claw and tooth pairs well with the Saber-tooth cat skull replica.