Smilodon detail, White Sands Pleistocene Environment
Geologic period: Pleistocene
Pictured:
Smildon, the Pleistocene predator often called a "saber-toothed tiger". While Smilodon was bigger and more robust than modern lions or tigers, it was not closely related to either modern cat's lineage.
About this image:
The savannah-like terrain of what is now White Sands National Monument combined open grasslands and copses of trees... probably ideal for Smilodon, who is thought to have been an ambush predator.