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New evidence of the sabertooth cat Smilodon (Carnivora: Machairodontinae) in the late Pleistocene of southern Chilean Patagonia

2010; BioMed Central; Volume: 83; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4067/s0716-078x2010000200010

0717-6317

Alfredo Prieto, Rafael Labarca, Víctor Sierpe,

Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

Southern Patagonia is rich in late Pleistocene mammals, especially herbivores such as Camelids, Equids and Xenarthrans.Carnivores, on the other hand, are not commonly found in the paleontological record.One genus, Smilodon, is of particular interest because its presence in the region has not been demonstrated.In this paper, we present new fossil dental evidence that supports the presence of Smilodon populator (Lund) in the region.This evidence corresponds to the most southern record of the genus in the world, and the final step in the colonization of South America after the Great American Biotic Interchange.An AMS radiocarbon date on teeth indicates that the remains from Southern Chilean Patagonia are the most recent record for the genus in South America.