Machairodus giganteus Asia Upper Miocene, Messinian (4.5-7 million years) Mounted on a custom metal and wood stand Skull 39 x 24 cm, Sabers 12.2 cm Provenance: Swiss private collection From the most impressive saber-toothed cat species of all time, this fantastic skull is from Machairodus giganteus, a species even larger than the famous Smilodon of the La Brea Tar Pits. With their enormous, deadly-sharp canines, saber-toothed carnivores were frightening and ferocious predators of the Late Miocene era. This species roamed the fields of Central asia until about 10,000 years ago. The animals were about the same size as todays lions or tigers, but somewhat a lot stronger in build. Their protruding fangs reached a length of up to 16 centimetres. Why the enormous teeth? Certainly they were used in hunting, but opinions vary as to exactly how they were applied. Some paleontologists have suggested that they were used to grab and hold onto prey. Another agreed-upon on hypothesis suggests that saber teeth were used to deliver a fatal ripping wound to the belly or throat of a prey animal. This made them immensely dangerous hunters that were feared even by Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon humans. This wonderful specimen, exhibiting over 98% original bone material, displays exceptional sabers, which protrude over four inches from the skull. It is among the largest saber-toothed cat skulls ever found. This is undoubtedly one of the finest fossil cat skulls ever to be offered for public sale and would be a museum-quality addition to any collection. S?BELZAHNKATZEN-SCH?DEL Machairodus giganteus Asien Oberes Mioz?n, Messinium (4,5 - 7 Millionen Jahre) Montiert auf einem speziell angefertigten St?nder aus Metall und Holz. Sch?del 39 x 24 cm, Z?hne 12.2 cm Dieser fantastische Sch?del stammt von der beeindruckendsten S?belzahnkatzenart aller Zeiten, Machairodus giganteus, einer Art, die noch gr??er ist als der berühmte Smilodon aus den Teergruben von La Brea. Mit ihren riesigen, t?dlich scharfen Eckz?hnen sind die S?belzahnkatzen vielen Menschen als furchterregende und wilde Raubtiere des sp?ten Mioz?ns bekannt. Diese Spezies durchstreifte die Felder Zentralasiens bis vor etwa 10.000 Jahren. Die Tiere hatten etwa die gleiche Gr??e wie heutige L?wen oder Tiger, waren aber etwas kr?ftiger gebaut. Ihre vorstehenden Rei?z?hne erreichten eine L?nge von bis zu 16 Zentimetern. Warum die enormen Z?hne? Sicherlich wurden sie bei der Jagd verwendet, aber die Meinungen darüber, wie sie genau eingesetzt wurden, gehen auseinander. Einige Pal?ontologen vermuten, dass sie zum Greifen und Festhalten der Beute dienten. Eine andere übereinstimmende Hypothese besagt, dass die S?belz?hne dazu dienten, dem Beutetier eine t?dliche Wunde in den Bauch oder die Kehle zu rei?en. Dies machte sie ungemein gef?hrlichen J?gern, vor welchen sich sogar Neandertaler und Cro-Magnon-Menschen fürchteten. Dieses wunderbare Exemplar, das zu über 98 % aus originalem Knochenmaterial besteht, weist au?ergew?hnliche S?bel auf, die über vier Zentimeter aus dem Sch?del herausragen. Mit 17 ? Zoll geh?rt er zu den gr??ten S?belzahnkatzensch?deln, die je gefunden wurden. Es handelt sich zweifellos um einen der sch?nsten fossilen Katzensch?del, die jemals zum Verkauf angeboten wurden, und er w?re eine museale Bereicherung für jede Sammlung.
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