Why did saber tooth cats develop such long canines?
CT: These teeth were specialized for stabbing and slicing they allowed saber tooth cats to penetrate the thick skins of even large prey and reach their vital organs. Smilodon, a cat that lived over 25 million years later than Hoplophoneus, developed even longer canines. Dr. Carol Tang Senior Science Educator and Research Associate Department of invertebrate Zoology & Geology SKULL FACT Fossil lizard skulls are rare finds the individual bones in their skulls are not tightly fused together, so they fall apart easily. This lizard was probably killed during a flood, mudslide, or other rapid burial event, which helped its skull to remain intact. The bony plates that cover its cranium are called dermal bone, because they grow out of the skin.
