Ancient Saber-Toothed Cat Fossil Reveals Prehistoric Discovery in Türkiye
(MENAFN) A fossil preserved for decades at a museum in southwestern Türkiye has been identified as the remains of a saber-toothed cat that roamed the region around 2.5 million years ago, according to researchers.
The specimen was unearthed near Yakakoy village in 1989 before being transferred to the Burdur Natural History Museum, where it remained until scientists determined that it belonged to Homotherium latidens, an extinct species of large carnivorous feline.
A team of researchers headed by Alper Yener Yavuz, an associate professor of anthropology at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, launched a detailed examination of the fossil in 2023.
Through geological and anthropological investigations, the scientists established that the remains include a largely preserved jaw, making it the most complete saber-toothed cat fossil discovered in Anatolia, the Asian portion of modern-day Türkiye, Yavuz said.
The team determined the specimen's age to be approximately 2.5 million years by applying geological and faunal dating techniques.
The prehistoric predator measured around 1.2 meters (4 feet) in height at the shoulder, with a body length of approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) from its head to the tip of its tail. Its overall size was slightly below that of a modern lion but exceeded that of a jaguar, according to Yavuz.
The species also had physical characteristics suited to chasing prey rather than relying on ambush tactics. Its relatively broad nasal cavity enabled it to draw in oxygen more effectively while running, he explained.
“Including our study, only four specimens of this kind are known in Türkiye so far,” Yavuz said.
Following the discovery, researchers intend to carry out additional field investigations across Burdur and neighboring Isparta province in an effort to find further evidence of the area's prehistoric wildlife and history.
The specimen was unearthed near Yakakoy village in 1989 before being transferred to the Burdur Natural History Museum, where it remained until scientists determined that it belonged to Homotherium latidens, an extinct species of large carnivorous feline.
A team of researchers headed by Alper Yener Yavuz, an associate professor of anthropology at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, launched a detailed examination of the fossil in 2023.
Through geological and anthropological investigations, the scientists established that the remains include a largely preserved jaw, making it the most complete saber-toothed cat fossil discovered in Anatolia, the Asian portion of modern-day Türkiye, Yavuz said.
The team determined the specimen's age to be approximately 2.5 million years by applying geological and faunal dating techniques.
The prehistoric predator measured around 1.2 meters (4 feet) in height at the shoulder, with a body length of approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) from its head to the tip of its tail. Its overall size was slightly below that of a modern lion but exceeded that of a jaguar, according to Yavuz.
The species also had physical characteristics suited to chasing prey rather than relying on ambush tactics. Its relatively broad nasal cavity enabled it to draw in oxygen more effectively while running, he explained.
“Including our study, only four specimens of this kind are known in Türkiye so far,” Yavuz said.
Following the discovery, researchers intend to carry out additional field investigations across Burdur and neighboring Isparta province in an effort to find further evidence of the area's prehistoric wildlife and history.
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