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van den Hoek Ostende, L.W.; Morlo, M.; Nagel, D.
Fossils explained 52: Majestic killers: the sabre-toothed cats
2006 Geology today (22): 150-157
The large vertebrates of ages past capture our imagination, none more so than the dinosaurs; but large mammals come a good second. As palaeontologists unravel lost worlds, they discover creatures that to us are peculiar. Some of these are quite well known to the general public. Just how popular an extinct species is in this respect can be measured by looking at the animals that feature in popular science books. Several factors decide just how appealing a creature from the past may be. Being 'weird' certainly helps. A whale with legs, a deer with antlers spanning four metres, an elephant with a thick, hairy coat. Being big is even better. Dinosaurs ranging over 30 metres in length are captivating, and any book dealing with extinct mammals will picture the giant hornless rhino _Baluchitherium_. But top of the bill is being dangerous. Any five-year-old can tell you what a _T. rex _is; among the mammals, the sabre-toothed cat is probably the favourite.
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