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 does the variation in wear patterns among individual Cougars suggest about their eating habits?

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Which two species of large cats survived the Ice Age according to the research findings?

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