Explainer: How dire wolves and saber-toothed cats hunted

The video explores the hunting strategies of Ice Age predators like sabretooth tigers and dire wolves, focusing on their interactions with the tar pits in Los Angeles. Researchers analyzed skeletal remains to understand these predators' methods, revealing that dire wolves likely hunted in packs, while sabretooth cats were ambush predators with high mortality rates. The study, involving 35,000 bones, was published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

What was a common fate for both prey and predators in the tar pits of ancient Los Angeles?

• They avoided the pits completely.

• They used the pits as a shelter.

• They were able to escape easily.

• They often got stuck and died.

What did researchers initially hypothesize about the hunting strategy of direwolves?

• They used traps to catch prey.

• They chased prey with attacks from behind.

• They hunted in solitary.

• They attacked from the front.

What did the analysis of direwolf injuries reveal about their hunting method?

• They suffered mostly from leg injuries.

• They likely bit down on the bodies of large prey in packs.

• They used their tails to trip prey.

• They preferred to hunt small animals.

How did sabretooth cats' hunting strategies compare to modern tigers?

• They used tools to hunt.

• They preferred aquatic prey.

• They were ambush predators like modern tigers.

• They hunted in large groups.

What was a significant finding about the injuries of sabretooth cats?

• They had frequent leg injuries.

• They showed a trend of shoulder and back injuries.

• They had no significant injuries.

• They had injuries similar to birds.