Southern Smilodon
Smilodon populator
🐅
Chordata
Mammalia
Carnivora
Feloidea
Felidae
Smilodon
Smilodon populator
The Apex Saber-Tooth of South America, Smilodon populator was the largest and most formidable of all saber-toothed cats. Towering over its North American cousin Smilodon fatalis, it reigned supreme across the grasslands and forests of Pleistocene South America, preying upon massive herbivores like giant ground sloths and prehistoric horses.
Description
Smilodon populator — Belonging to the class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Felidae, S. populator was a true titan among cats. Adults weighed between 220–400 kg, with a shoulder height of about 1.2 meters and a body length up to 2.3 meters. It possessed enormously developed forelimbs, a short tail, and a broad chest for grappling and pinning down prey. Its canines, up to 28 centimeters long, were precision weapons used for slicing into soft tissue rather than crushing bone. It lived during the late Pleistocene, ranging from Brazil to Argentina.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
300
1.2
1.8
2.2
kg
m
m
m
Hypercarnivore
Obligate Proteivore
Hunt History
Human arrival in South America overlapped with the twilight of Smilodon populator. Early Paleo-Indians likely competed with it for prey such as ground sloths and camels. While direct hunting evidence is rare, the decline of large herbivores following human expansion would have devastated Smilodon’s food supply. Its extinction likely came through indirect human influence—ecological displacement and prey depletion—rather than outright predation.
Three archaeological and historical examples:
Lagoa Santa, Brazil (c. 11,000 BCE) — Fossils of S. populator found near early human remains, suggesting shared environments and potential competition.
Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (c. 12,000 BCE) — Remains discovered with those of giant ground sloths and horses, prey likely hunted by both Smilodon and humans.
Piedra Museo, Patagonia (c. 10,500 BCE) — Stone tools and megafauna bones found together, marking the coexistence of humans and saber-toothed predators.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
10000
BP
Late Pleistocene
South America
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Low
Fat %
3
Est. Renderable Fat
9
kg
Targeted Organs
Marrow, brain (low overall fat)
Adipose Depots
Minimal subcutaneous; marrow/brain
Preferred Cuts
Marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4