Cougars' diverse diet helped them survive extinction

The video explores how cougars survived the extinction 12,000 years ago by having a diverse diet, unlike their more finicky relatives, the saber-tooth cats and American lions. Researchers from Vanderbilt University and the University of Wyoming used dental microware texture analysis on fossil teeth to compare ancient and modern big cats. They found that cougars had varied dietary habits, which may have contributed to their survival, while other large cats went extinct during the Ice Age.

What was the main reason cougars survived the extinction event 12,000 years ago?

• They had a more diverse diet.

• They were larger in size.

• They lived in isolated areas.

• They had better hunting skills.

Which technique was used to analyze the dietary habits of cougars and other large cats?

• Radiographic imaging

• Dental microwear texture analysis

• DNA sequencing

• Carbon dating

What did the researchers compare the fossil teeth of modern cougars with?

• Teeth of modern herbivores

• Teeth of extinct large cats and modern carnivores

• Fossilized plant remains

• Fossil teeth of dinosaurs

What did the study suggest about the dietary behavior of Pleistocene cougars?

• They were strict carnivores.

• They were primarily scavengers.

• They had a specialized diet.

• They had a generalized dietary behavior.

Which two large cat species survived the Ice Age in North America?

• Cheetahs and African lions

• Hyenas and Leopards

• Cougars and Jaguars

• Saber Tooth cats and American lions