Hunt History

Early humans in the Americas may have occasionally clashed with Smilodon fatalis, though direct evidence of hunting is rare. More often, humans competed with it for the same prey. However, the advent of coordinated group hunting and the use of spears and atlatls may have allowed humans to drive Smilodon from carcasses or even kill them when threatened. The disappearance of large herbivores toward the end of the Ice Age, driven partly by human activity, likely sealed the cat’s fate.

Three archaeological and historical examples:

Rancho La Brea Tar Pits, California (c. 13,000 BCE) — Hundreds of Smilodon fatalis fossils trapped in asphaltic deposits, suggesting ambushes gone wrong at ancient kill sites.

Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming (c. 14,000 BCE) — Remains of Smilodon found with Ice Age bison and horse bones, indicating shared hunting grounds.

Panthera Cave, Argentina (c. 12,000 BCE) — Associated stone tools and large mammal remains hint that humans scavenged or hunted prey also targeted by Smilodon.