An nonextant creature line as an amphibian , otter - like “ nautical bear ” may have shared its bite with a saber - toothed hombre , according to a study release this week in theProceedings of the Royal Society B.
First described in the sixties after fragment of skulls and teeth belonging to two relate coinage – Kolponomos clallamensisandKolponomos newportensis – were find on the glide of Oregon , the strangely enigmatic animal had antecedently been thought to resemblesea ottersin its feeding strategy . This presumption was ground on the fact that superficial analysis of its cheek teeth revealed similarities with those of otter in both form and wear , evoke thatKolponomosfed on the hard - beat out molluscs that abound in the neighborhood , using its teeth to squelch them .
However , while conducting a more elaborate analysis of the specimens , researchers began to realize that they in fact differed significantly from otter , with a jaw structure that acquit remarkable resemblance to that of the saber - toothed catSmilodon . For instance , bothKolpomonosandSmilodonhave a deep jaw bone that tapers off towards the back , and large fastening sites for neck muscles .
In sabre - toothed cats , these features are thought to have facilitated a special case of sting known as thecanine shear bite , whereby the mandible – or lower jaw – was used to “ anchor ” prey down , while knock-down cervix muscles propel the head forwards , labor the dogtooth into the victim ’s human body .
Based on these finding , the researchers theorize thatKolpomonosmay have used this same technique to dislodge mollusc from rock surface , utilizing the mandibular bone as a sort of fulcrum around which its head could swivel and wedge the dentition between its prey and its degree of attachment .
The extinct saber - toothed cat know as Smilodon fatalis used a canine shear bite to kill its target . Valentyna Chukhlyebova / Shutterstock
In lodge to essay this surmise , they used a figurer simulation technique call finite chemical element analysis to observe how in effect the lower jawbone of several unlike carnivores – includingKolpomonos , Smilodonand sea otter – could perform a range of different bite type . Among the bite simulate were the canine shear sting , or “ anchor bite , ” of theSmilodon , and the ocean otter “ beat bite . ”
Results showed that the jaw mechanics ofKolpomonosandSmilodonwere more similar to each other than any other animals in the study , and that the nonextant " maritime bear " – thought to have live around 20 million years ago – really disagree significantly from the sea otter in its biting capabilities .
For instance , while the otter ’s mandible was base to do much of the work while trounce prey , Kolpomonosexhibited much smashing ‘ stiffness ’ in the low jaw , which does less of the work .
As such , the researchers close thatKolpomonosprobably had a raciness that was more standardised to that ofSmilodonthan sea otter , even though the two creature consume vastly different diet . It is therefore potential that they used this technique for dissimilar purposes , withSmilodonusing its pungency to kill other brute whileKolpomonosutilized the same method acting to pry molluscs off rock’n’roll .
The study generator also mark that , despite these striking similarities , KolpomonosandSmilodonare unconvincing to be relate via a vulgar ascendant . Instead , they believe this happenstance to represent a case ofconvergence , whereby two trenchant mintage arise the similar features independently of one another .
