Make up a story based on the picture of the attack of a saber-toothed tiger. Saber-toothed tiger
The saber-toothed tiger is a giant among cats. For several million years it dominated the territory of America, but disappeared quite suddenly almost 10 thousand years ago. The true causes of the extinction have never been established. Today there are no animals that can safely be attributed to his descendants.
Only one thing is known with certainty: the animal has nothing to do with tigers.
Similar anatomical features of the skull (very long fangs, wide-opening mouth) are observed in clouded leopards. Despite this, no evidence of a close relationship between the predators could be found.
Family history
The animal belongs to the cat family, subfamily Machairodontinae or Saber-toothed cats, genus Smilodon. Translated into Russian, “Smilodon” means “dagger tooth.” The first individuals appeared during the Paleogene period about 2.5 million years ago. A tropical climate with slight temperature fluctuations and lush vegetation favored the general flourishing of mammals. Predators of the Paleogene period multiplied rapidly and did not experience a shortage of food.
The Pleistocene, which replaced the Paleogene, was characterized by a harsher climate with alternating glaciations and periods of slight warming. The saber-toothed cats adapted well to their new habitat and felt great. The distribution range of animals covered South and North America.
At the end of the last ice age, the climate became drier and warmer. Where impenetrable forests once stretched, prairies appeared. Most of the megafauna could not withstand climate change and died out; the remaining animals moved to open spaces, learned to run quickly, and evade persecution.
Having lost their usual prey, predators were unable to switch to smaller animals. The peculiarities of the animal's constitution - short legs and a short tail, a bulky body - made it clumsy and inactive. He could not maneuver or pursue the victim for a long time.
The long fangs made it difficult to catch small animals; they broke during an unsuccessful attempt to grab the victim, piercing into the ground instead. It is quite possible that it was precisely because of famine that the period of saber-toothed tigers ended and there is no point in looking for other explanations.
Kinds
- The species Smilodon fatalis appeared on the American continents 1.6 million years ago. It had average size and weight, comparable to the weight of a modern tiger - 170 - 280 kg. Its subspecies include Smilodon californicus and Smilodon floridus.
- The species Smilodon gracilis lived in the western regions of America.
- The Smilodon populator species was distinguished by its largest size, had a stocky build, and exceeded the weight of the largest tigers. Effectively killed the victim by cutting the carotid artery and trachea with sharp fangs.
Paleontological finds
In 1841, the first report of a saber-tooth tiger appeared in the fossil record. Fossil remains were found in the state of Minas Geras in eastern Brazil, where Danish paleontologist and naturalist Peter Wilhelm Lund conducted excavations. The scientist studied and described the relics in detail, systematized the facts and identified the beast as a separate genus.
Rancho La Brea, located in a bitumen valley near the city of Los Angeles, is famous for many finds of prehistoric animals, including the saber-toothed cat. During glacial times, there was a black lake in the valley, filled with a composition of thickened oil (liquid asphalt). A thin layer of water collected on its surface and attracted birds and animals with its shine.
The animals went to water and ended up in a death trap. All you had to do was step into the fetid mud and your feet themselves would stick to its surface. Under the weight of their bodies, the victims of optical illusion gradually sank into the asphalt, from which even the strongest individuals could not get out. The game bound by the lake seemed like easy prey for predators, but as they made their way to it, they themselves found themselves trapped.
In the middle of the last century, people began to extract asphalt from the lake and unexpectedly discovered there many well-preserved remains of animals buried alive. More than two thousand skulls of saber-toothed cats were raised outside. As it turned out later, only young individuals fell into the trap. Apparently the old animals, already taught by bitter experience, avoided this place.
Scientists from the University of California began studying the remains. Using a tomograph, the structure of the teeth and bone density were determined, and a number of genetic and biochemical studies were carried out. The skeleton of a saber-toothed cat was restored in great detail. Modern computer technology has helped to recreate the image of the animal and even calculate the force of its bite.
Appearance
One can only guess what the animal saber-toothed tiger actually looks like, because the image created by scientists is very conventional. In the photo, the saber-toothed tiger does not look at all like living representatives of the cat family. Large fangs and bear proportions make it unique and one of a kind. The dimensions of a saber-toothed tiger are comparable to the linear parameters of a large lion.
- Body length 2.5 meters, height at withers 100 - 125 cm.
- The unusually short tail had a length of 20 - 30 cm. This anatomical feature deprived predators of the ability to run quickly. When turning at high speed, they could not maintain balance, maneuver and simply fell.
- The weight of the animal reached 160 - 240 kg. Large individuals from the species Smilodon populator exceeded the weight and had a body mass of 400 kg.
The predator was distinguished by a powerful wrestling physique and awkward body proportions. - In the photo, saber-toothed cats have well-developed muscles, especially on the neck, chest and paws. Their forelimbs are longer than their hind limbs, and their wide feet end in sharp retractable claws. A saber-toothed cat could easily grab an opponent with its front paws and throw him to the ground as best he could.
- The saber-toothed tiger's skull was 30 - 40 cm in length. The frontal and occipital parts are smoothed, the massive facial part is extended forward, the mastoid process is well developed.
- The jaws opened very wide, almost 120 degrees. Special attachment of muscles and tendons made it possible to press the predator's upper jaw to the lower jaw, and not vice versa, as in all modern cats.
- The upper fangs of the saber-toothed tiger protruded 17 - 18 cm from the outside, their roots penetrated into the bones of the skull almost to the very eye sockets. The total length of the fangs reached 27 - 28 cm. They were compressed from the sides, well sharpened at the very ends, pointed in front and behind, and jagged. The unusual structure allowed the fangs to damage the thick skin of animals and bite through flesh, but deprived them of strength. If they hit the bones of the victim, the fangs could easily break, so the success of the hunt always depended on the correctly chosen direction and accuracy of the blow.
- The predator's skin has not been preserved and its color can only be established hypothetically. The color most likely was a camouflage device, and therefore corresponded to the habitat. It is quite possible that during the Paleogene period the fur had a sandy-yellow tint, and during the Ice Age only the white saber-toothed tiger was found.
Lifestyle and behavior
The ancient saber-toothed tiger is a representative of a completely different era and, in its behavior, bears little resemblance to modern cats.
It is possible that the predators lived in social groups, which included three to four females, several males and young individuals. It is possible that the number of females and males was equal. By hunting together, animals could catch larger game, which means they could provide themselves with more food.
These assumptions are confirmed by paleontological finds - several skeletons of cats were often found near one skeleton of a herbivore. An animal, weakened by injuries and diseases, with such a lifestyle could always count on a portion of the prey. According to another theory, the tribesmen were not distinguished by nobility and ate a sick relative.
Hunting
For thousands of years, the predator specialized in hunting animals with thick skins. Having fangs capable of piercing their thick skin, he created real terror during the Ice Ages. The small tail did not allow the animal to develop high speed and hunts fast-running game, so its victims were clumsy, massive herbivorous mammals.
The ancient saber-toothed tiger used cunning techniques and got as close to its prey as possible. The victim was almost always taken by surprise, quickly attacked and used real wrestling techniques. Thanks to the special structure of the paws and the well-developed muscles of the anterior shoulder girdle, the animal could hold the animal motionless with its paws for a long time, running its sharp claws into it and tearing the skin and flesh.
The size of the victim often exceeded the size of the saber-toothed tiger several times, but this did not save it from inevitable death. After the prey was knocked to the ground, the predator's fangs pierced deep into its throat.
The extinct saber-toothed cat ate exclusively animal food, was not known for moderation in food, and could eat 10–20 kg of meat at a time. Its diet included large ungulates and giant sloths. Favorite food: bison, mammoths, horses.
There is no reliable information about the reproduction and care of offspring. Since the predator belongs to the class of mammals, it can be assumed that its cubs fed on mother’s milk for the first month of life. They had to survive in difficult conditions and how many kittens survived to puberty is not known. The lifespan of the beast is also unknown.
- A giant fossil saber-toothed cat could very well be genetically cloned in the near future. Scientists hope to isolate DNA material suitable for the experiment from remains preserved in permafrost. The potential egg donor should be an African lioness.
- Many popular science films and cartoons have been made about saber-toothed tigers. The most famous of them are “Ice Age” (one of the main characters of the cartoon is the good-natured Smilodon Diego), “Walking with Monsters”, “Prehistoric Predators”. They touch on interesting facts from the life of Smilodons and reconstruct the events of bygone days.
- Predators had no serious competitors in their habitat. Megatheria (giant sloths) posed a certain danger to them. It is possible that they not only ate vegetation, but were also not averse to including fresh meat in their diet. When meeting with a particularly large sloth, Smilodon could well become both an executioner and a victim.
Saber-toothed tigers are formidable and dangerous predators of the cat family, completely extinct in ancient times. A distinctive feature of these animals were the upper fangs of impressive size, shaped like sabers. What do modern scientists know about saber-toothed cats? Were these animals tigers? What did they look like, how did they live, and why did they disappear? Let's move back through the centuries - to those times when huge ferocious cats, going hunting, confidently walked across the planet with the gait of true animal kings...
Cat or tiger?
First of all, it should be noted that the term “saber-toothed tigers,” which seems so familiar, is actually incorrect.
Biological science knows the subfamily of saber-toothed cats (Machairodontinae). However, these ancient animals have extremely few features in common with tigers. The first and second have significantly different proportions and body structure, and the lower jaws are connected to the skull differently. In addition, the striped “tiger” coloring is not typical for any of the saber-toothed cats. Their lifestyle is also different from that of a tiger: paleontologists suggest that these animals were not loners, living and hunting in prides, like lions.
However, since the term “saber-toothed tigers” is used almost everywhere, and even in scientific literature, further we will also use this beautiful allegory.
Tribes of saber-toothed cats
Until 2000, the subfamily of saber-toothed cats, or Machairodontinae, united three large tribes.
Representatives of the first tribe, Machairodontini (sometimes also called Homoterini), are distinguished by exceptionally large upper fangs, wide and serrated on the inside. When hunting, predators relied more on striking with these devastating “weapons” than on biting. The smallest cats of the Mahairod tribe were comparable to a small modern leopard, the largest were larger than a very large tiger.
Saber-toothed tigers of the second tribe, Smilodontini, are characterized by longer upper canines, but they were significantly narrower and not as serrated as those of the Machairods. Their top-down attack with fangs was the most deadly and perfect among all saber-toothed cats. As a rule, Smilodon were the size of an Amur tiger or lion, but the American species of this predator has the glory of the largest saber-toothed cat in history.
The third tribe, Metailurini, is the most ancient. That is why the teeth of these animals represent a kind of “transitional stage” between the fangs of ordinary and saber-toothed cats. It is believed that they separated from other machairodonts quite early, and their evolution occurred somewhat differently. Due to the rather weak expression of “saber-toothed” characteristics, representatives of this tribe began to be classified directly as felines, considered “small cats” or “pseudo-saber-toothed”. Since 2000, this tribe is no longer included in the subfamily of interest to us.
Saber-toothed tiger period
Saber-toothed cats inhabited the Earth for quite a long time - more than twenty million years, appearing for the first time in the early Miocene and finally disappearing in the late Pleistocene period. Over all this time, they have given rise to many genera and species, differing significantly in appearance and size. However, hypertrophied upper fangs (in some species they could reach more than twenty centimeters in length) and the ability to open their mouths very wide (sometimes even one hundred and twenty degrees!) have traditionally been their common features.
Where did saber-toothed cats live?
These animals were characterized by an ambush attack. Having crushed the victim to the ground with its powerful front paws or grabbed its throat, the saber-toothed tiger instantly cut its carotid artery and trachea. Precision bite was the main weapon of this predator - after all, fangs stuck in the bones of the prey could break. Such a mistake would be fatal for the unlucky predator, depriving him of the ability to hunt and thereby dooming him to death.
Why did saber-toothed cats become extinct?
During the Pleistocene, or "Ice Age," which spanned the period from two million to twenty-five to ten thousand years ago, many large mammals gradually disappeared - cave bears, woolly rhinoceroses, giant sloths, mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. Why did this happen?
During the period of glacial cooling, many plants rich in proteins, which served as the usual food for giant herbivores, died out. At the end of the Pleistocene period, the planet's climate became warmer and much drier. Forests were gradually replaced by open grass prairies, but the new vegetation, adapted to the changed conditions, did not have the nutritional value of the previous one. Herbivorous sloths and mammoths gradually died out, not finding enough food. Accordingly, there were fewer animals that predators could hunt. The saber-toothed tiger, an ambush hunter of big game, found himself hostage to the current situation. The structural features of its jaw apparatus did not allow it to hunt small animals; its massive physique and short tail did not allow it to catch up with fleet-footed prey in the open area, which was becoming more and more numerous. Changed conditions meant that the ancient tigers with saber fangs did not have a chance to survive. Slowly but inexorably, all species of these animals existing in nature disappeared from the face of the Earth.
Without exception, all saber-toothed cats are finally extinct animals that did not leave direct descendants.
Mahayrods
Of all the representatives of saber-toothed cats known to science, it was the Mahairod that most closely resembled a tiger. In nature, there were several types of mahairods, which had significant differences in appearance, but they were united by the jagged edges of long upper fangs, shaped like “mahairs” - curved swords.
These ancient animals appeared in Eurasia about fifteen million years ago, and two million years have passed since their extinction. The weight of the largest representatives of this tribe reached half a ton, and in size they were quite comparable to modern horses. Archaeologists are convinced that the Machairod was the largest wild cat of its time. Hunting large herbivores - rhinoceroses and elephants, these animals quite successfully competed with other large predators of their time, dire wolves and cave bears. Machairods became the “progenitors” of a more advanced type of saber-toothed cat - Homotherium.
Homotherium
It is believed that these saber-toothed cats appeared about five million years ago at the boundary of the Miocene and Pleistocene. They were distinguished by a more slender physique, vaguely reminiscent of a modern lion. However, their hind legs were somewhat shorter than their front legs, which gave these predators some resemblance to a hyena. The upper fangs of Homotherium were shorter and wider than those of Smilodon - representatives of another tribe of saber-toothed cats that inhabited the Earth in parallel with them. Along with this, the presence of a large number of notches on the fangs allowed scientists to conclude that these animals were capable of delivering not only slashing, but also cutting blows.
Compared to other saber-toothed cats, Homotherium had very high endurance and was adapted to long (although not fast) running and walking over long distances. There are suggestions that these now extinct animals led a solitary lifestyle. However, most researchers are still inclined to believe that homotherium hunted in groups like other saber-toothed cats, since it was easier to kill stronger and larger prey.
Smilodon
Compared to other saber-toothed cats that the ancient animal world of the Earth knew, Smilodon had a more powerful physique. The largest representative of saber-toothed cats, Smilodon populator, which lived on the American continent, grew up to one hundred and twenty-five centimeters high at the withers, and its length from nose to tip of tail could be two and a half meters. The fangs of this beast (along with the roots) reached twenty-nine centimeters in length!
Smilodon lived and hunted in prides, including one or two dominant males, several females and young animals. The coloration of these animals could well be spotted, like a leopard. It is also possible that the males had a short mane.
Information about Smilodon is contained in many scientific reference books and fiction; it appears as a character in films ("Jurassic Portal", "Prehistoric Park") and cartoons ("Ice Age"). Perhaps this is the most famous animal of all, which is commonly called saber-tooth tigers.
The clouded leopard is a modern descendant of the saber-toothed tiger
Today it is believed that the clouded leopard is the indirect, but closest relative of Smilodon. It belongs to the subfamily Pantherinae (panther cats), within which it is classified into the genus Neofelis.
Its body is quite massive and compact at the same time - these features were also inherent in the saber-toothed cats of antiquity. Among representatives of modern felines, this animal has the longest fangs (both upper and lower) relative to its own size. In addition, the jaws of this predator can open 85 degrees, which is much more than that of any other modern cat.
Although not a direct descendant of saber-toothed cats, the clouded leopard serves as clear evidence that the method of hunting using deadly “saber fangs” can well be used by a predator in modern times.
The saber-toothed tiger belongs to the family saber-toothed cats, which became extinct more than 10,000 years ago. They belong to the Mahairod family. This is how the predators were nicknamed because of their monstrously large twenty-centimeter fangs, which were shaped like the blades of daggers. And besides, they were jagged along the edges, like the weapon itself.
When the mouth was closed, the ends of the fangs were lowered below the chin. It is for this reason that the mouth itself opened twice as wide as that of a modern predator.
The purpose of this terrible weapon still remains a mystery. There are suggestions that males attracted the best females with the size of their fangs. And during the hunt, they inflicted mortal wounds on the prey, which became weak from severe blood loss and could not escape. They could also use their fangs, using them like a can opener, to rip off the skin of a captured animal.
Self animal saber tooth tiger, was very impressive and muscular, one could call him the “ideal” killer. Presumably its length was about 1.5 meters.
The body rested on short legs, and the tail looked like a stump. There was no talk of any grace or cat-like fluidity in movements with such limbs. The reaction speed, strength and instinct of the hunter came first, because he also could not pursue prey for a long time due to the structure of his body, and quickly got tired.
It is believed that the color of the tiger's skin was more spotted than striped. The main color was camouflage shades: brown or red. There are rumors about unique white saber tooth tigers.
Albinos are still found in the cat family, so we can safely say that such colors were also found in prehistoric times. Ancient people met the predator before its disappearance, and its appearance undoubtedly inspired fear. This can be experienced now by looking at photo of saber tooth tiger or seeing his remains in a museum.
The photo shows the skull of a saber-toothed tiger
Saber-toothed tigers lived in prides and could go out hunting together, which makes their way of life more similar to. There is evidence that when living together, weaker or wounded individuals fed on the successful hunting of healthy animals.
Habitat of the saber-toothed tiger
Saber-toothed tigers dominated for quite a long time in the territories of modern South and North America from the beginning of the Quaternary period– Pleistocene. In much smaller quantities, the remains of saber-toothed tigers have been found on the continents of Eurasia and Africa.
The most famous fossils were found in an oil lake in California that was once an ancient watering hole for animals. There, both the victims of saber-toothed tigers and the hunters themselves fell into a trap. Thanks to the environment, the bones of both were perfectly preserved. And scientists continue to receive new information about saber-toothed tigers.
Their habitat was areas with low vegetation, similar to modern savannas and prairies. How saber tooth tigers lived and hunted in them, can be seen on pictures.
Nutrition
Like all modern predators, they were carnivores. Moreover, they were distinguished by a great need for meat and in huge quantities. They hunted only large animals. These were prehistoric, three-toed, and large proboscis.
Could attack saber tooth tigers And on a small mammoth. Small animals could not supplement the diet of this predator, because he could not catch them due to his slowness and eat them; large teeth would interfere with him. Many scientists argue that the saber-toothed tiger did not refuse carrion during a bad feeding period.
Saber-toothed tiger in the museum
The reason for the extinction of saber-toothed tigers
The exact cause of the extinction has not been established. But there are several hypotheses that will help explain this fact. Two of them are directly related to the diet of this predator.
The first assumes that they ate saber tooth tigers not meat, but the blood of the prey. They used their fangs as needles. They pierced the victim's body in the liver area and lapped up the flowing blood.
The carcass itself remained untouched. This diet forced predators to hunt almost all day long and kill a lot of animals. This was possible before the onset of the Ice Age. Later, when there was practically no game, the saber-tooths died out from starvation.
The second, more widespread, states that the extinction of saber-toothed tigers is associated with the direct disappearance of the animals that made up their usual diet. And on the other, they simply could not adapt due to their anatomical features.
There are now opinions that saber tooth tigers still alive and they have been seen in Central Africa by hunters from local tribes who call it the "mountain lion".
But this has not been documented and remains at the level of stories. Scientists do not deny the possibility that some similar specimens still exist today. If saber tooth tigers and, indeed, if they find it, they will immediately appear on the pages Red Book.
As you read the chapter, think:
1. Why couldn’t ancient man live alone?
The earliest people actually lived in groups. This is due to the characteristics of their life. Alone, it was impossible for ancient man to provide himself with enough food to survive. Together, it was easier for people to get food, hunt animals, arrange their homes, and fight for survival with representatives of other tribes.
2. Why were the tools and remains of ancient people not found in those countries where there were severe winters?
Most of the most ancient archaeological finds were made in the territories of Africa, the Middle East and the Caucasus, East Asia (Pakistan, India, China), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Australia), etc. Thus, one of the largest and oldest sites of ancient people is considered parking in the Olduvai Gorge in Africa (Tanzania), Diring-Yuryakh (Russia, Yakutia), Karakhach (Armenia). Ancient people lived in them almost 2 million years ago. Also among the most famous are the sites of Ainikab (Dagestan) - 1.95 million years old, Dmanisi (Georgia) - 1.8 million years old, on the Taman Peninsula (Russia) - 1.7 million years old.
Please note that the list of the oldest sites of ancient people includes the modern territory of Russia. Archeology has convincing evidence of the existence of ancient people in Russia almost 2 million years ago. Most of the sites were discovered in the center of Dagestan and on the Taman Peninsula. On the one hand, this confirms the old archaeological theory that humanity originated in the territories of North-East Africa, Asia and in the area of the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
However, the discovery of the site of ancient people Diring-Yuryakh, on the territory of modern Yakutia, only 480 km from the Arctic Circle, calls into question the theory of the African origin of man.
Diring Yuriah, Siberia, Russia, 2.9–1.8 million years–260,000 years– a site 480 km from the Arctic Circle with numerous Olduvai-type tools made of quartzite pebbles, discovered in 1982. The author of the discovery, Yuri Mochanov, makes a convincing case for the age of Diring-Yuryakh to be at least 1.8 million years old, which is comparable to the earliest African sites, but most scientists do not accept this date because of its extraordinary nature. Based on thermoluminescent analysis of quartzite samples, American researchers (M. Waters et al, 1997) gave a date of 260–370,000 years, which in any case is anomalous from the point of view of existing views on the history of mankind. In the same year, the Americans Huntley and Richards (1997), in the journal Ancient TL, criticized the dating of the Waters group, concluding that Deering's age is much older. And in 2002, in a specialized laboratory of Moscow State University, O. Kulikov’s group carried out a new analysis using the more modern RTL method, obtaining the age of Deering artifacts of the order 2.9 million years, which poses a serious challenge to the so-called African model of the origin of humanity.
Therefore, the question of why the remains of ancient people were not found in countries where there were severe winters does not currently seem very correct. Which countries experience harsh winters today? Was the climate in these regions as harsh a couple of million or even tens of thousands of years ago?
It is objective to assume that where there are harsh climatic conditions, ancient people, who were at the most primitive level of development, simply would not settle, since they would not be able to survive in these conditions. However, what then to do with Deering-Yurakh? After all, it is only 480 km from the Arctic Circle in the modern permafrost zone. Obviously, 2-3 million years ago the climate in this area was completely different, which allowed ancient people to settle in areas where today there are unfavorable climatic conditions for living. Perhaps that is why the discovery in Diring-Yuryakh shocked the scientific community so much.
ANCIENT PEOPLE
Explain the meaning of the words: primitive people, tools, gathering, archaeologist, reconstruction.
Primitive people- people who lived before the invention of writing, before the emergence of the first cities and states.
Tool- this is an object, device, instrument, device, apparatus, machine with the help of which some kind of work is carried out. Primitive man had no other tools except his own hands, nails and teeth, and then stones and tree branches. Man gradually came to the idea of adapting stones and broken sticks for his needs by further processing them.
Gathering- one of the oldest forms of human economic activity, consisting of collecting natural resources suitable for food: wild edible roots, fruits, berries, etc.
Archaeologist- a scientist who conducts excavations for scientific purposes and studies the life and culture of ancient civilizations and people using the preserved remains of life. An archaeologist can study the remains of sunken ships at the bottom of the sea, excavate the site of human settlements of past centuries, and try to reconstruct things from past times, recreating them bit by bit.
Reconstruction- this is the reconstruction of the material and spiritual culture of a particular historical era and region, the reproduction of historical events, the reconstruction from the found remains of extinct animals, plants and other organisms of their appearance, biological characteristics, methods of nutrition, reproduction, etc., as well as restoration based on this information the course of biological evolution.
1. How did the most ancient people differ from the people of our time?
The earliest man bore little resemblance to modern man and was very much like a monkey. He had a rough face with a wide, flat nose, a heavy lower jaw without a chin, and a forehead extending back. There was a ridge above the eyebrows, under which the eyes were hidden, as if under a canopy. People's gait was not yet completely straight, it was jumping; long arms hung below the knees. People didn't know how to talk yet. Like animals, they terrified predators with their screams, called for help, and warned of danger.
2. What was the main difference between ancient people and animals?
The ability to make tools was the main difference between ancient people and animals.
3. What were the most ancient tools? What kind of work could they do?
The most ancient tools were roughly processed stone fragments, wooden sticks and clubs. They could be used to make other tools and also be used in hunting, gathering and home improvement.
4. How did the earliest people get food? Describe these activities.
The earliest people obtained food by gathering and hunting. People were looking for edible roots, wild berries and fruits, and bird eggs. Meat was obtained by hunting. Hunters sought out prey, cut it off from the herd, stunned it with clubs and killed it.
Work with the map (see p. 9). What color indicates the area where archaeologists found bones and tools of ancient people? What continent is it on? In what part of the mainland?
On the map, the territory of the most widespread and one of the most ancient archaeological finds of ancient human sites is marked in light brown. The authors of the textbook noted the territory of southeast Africa and the sites of Olduvai (Tanzania), Hadar (Ethiopia), Taung (South Africa).
Describe the drawing “Attack of a saber-toothed tiger” (see p. 11) according to the plan: 1) a predator and its prey; 2) people's behavior. Guess how the fight with the beast will end.
For such large predators as saber-toothed tigers, ancient people were the same prey as herbivores. The picture shows a scene of a saber-toothed tiger attacking a group of ancient people. We see that this group of people possesses primitive tools in the form of sharpened sticks and massive clubs, which can be used to protect themselves from a formidable predator. We also see the already existing division of roles and responsibilities of the ancient people in the group. The men try to protect the women and children who must run and hide from the saber-toothed tiger while the men distract the predator and try not to drive it away. Most likely, many men will be killed by a tiger, since primitive tools are often not enough to defeat a powerful predator. But the women and children will have time to escape and survive.
Most of us became acquainted with saber-toothed tigers on the pages of Alexander Volkov’s fairy tale “The Wizard of the Emerald City.” In fact, the name “saber-toothed tiger” is far from consistent with the structure and habits of these animals, and is used mainly due to mass circulation by the media.
Modern science believes that these animals lived in prides, hunted together and were generally closer to modern lions, but this does not indicate their relationship or even identity. The ancestors of modern felids and the ancestors of saber-toothed cats separated during evolution millions of years ago. In Eurasia, saber-toothed cats are thought to have gone extinct 30,000 years ago, and in America, the last saber-toothed cat died about 10,000 years ago. However, information is coming from Africa indicating that the saber-toothed tiger may still have survived in the wilds of this continent.
One of the people talking about this possibility is Christian Le Noel, a famous French hunter of large African animals. In the second half of the twentieth century, Noel made a living by organizing African hunts for moneybags. He spent many years in the Central African Republic near Lake Chad. Below is an abbreviated translation of Le Noel's article on saber-toothed tigers.
Saber-toothed tigers in the center of Africa?
In the Central African Republic, where I worked professionally as a hunt leader and organizer for twelve years, local African tribesmen talk a lot about a saber-toothed predator they call Koq-Nindji, which translates to “mountain tiger.”
Interestingly, among the legendary animals, Koq-Nindji occupies a privileged position. The fact is that stories about this animal are common among peoples of various races and tribes, many of whom have never met each other. All these peoples call the habitat of the “mountain tiger” the area limited by the mountainous Tibesti plateau, the left tributary of the Nile - Bahr el-Ghazal, the plateaus of the Sahara desert and further the mountains of Uganda and Kenya. Thus, the appearance of this animal was noted over several thousand square kilometers.
The description of the animal practically corresponds to scientists’ understanding of the appearance of saber-tooths, whose fossil remains were discovered and dated back to 30 to 10 thousand years ago. Thus, the ancient saber-toothed tigers lived at the time when the first modern humans appeared.
Hunters of African tribes are practically illiterate people and have never seen a single textbook. I decided to take advantage of this and showed them several photographs of feline predators that exist in our time. In the middle of the stack of photographs I placed an image of a saber-toothed tiger. All the hunters chose him as the “mountain tiger” without hesitation.
As proof, they even showed me a cave into which the animal dragged the prey taken from the hunters. Then the tiger, without visible effort, carried away the carcass of a three hundred kilogram antelope. According to the hunters, this was thirty years before our conversation, which took place in 1970.
Among the peoples living in the north of the Central African Republic, stories about the “water lion” are also widespread. I'm guessing it's the same animal. Or these animals are close relatives.
There is written evidence from a European about a “water lion.” In 1910, a French column led by an officer and non-commissioned officers was sent to suppress a rebellion by local residents. To cross the Bemingui River, pirogues were used that carried ten people. The military archives preserved an officer’s report about how a certain lion attacked a pirogue and carried away one of the shooters in its mouth.
According to local residents, “water lions” live in caves located on the rocky banks of local rivers. Predators are predominantly nocturnal. “Their eyes sparkle at night like carbuncles, and their roar is like the roar of the wind before a storm,” say the locals.
My friend Marcel Halley, who hunted in Gabon in the twenties of the twentieth century, witnessed a strange fact. One day, while hunting in a swamp, he was attracted by strange wheezing sounds from the thickets. He discovered an injured female hippopotamus. There were several deep and long wounds on the animal’s body that could not have been inflicted by another hippopotamus, especially since these animals never attack females. Only males fight among themselves. Among other wounds, the animal had two huge and deep ones: one on the neck and the second on the shoulder.
The wounds on the neck and shoulder were round in shape and were so deep that the arm plunged into them up to the elbow. The wounds were not yet infected, which indicated their recent origin. These wounds could very well have been inflicted by a predator resembling a saber-toothed tiger, and could not have been inflicted by any known existing predator.
In these places, representatives of flora extinct throughout the rest of the Earth have been preserved, such as, for example, cycads from the genus Encephalartos. Why not assume that animals considered fossils also managed to survive?