У нас уже есть тема, посвящённая саблезубым, однако гомотерии заслуживают отдельной темы. Эта кошка во многом уникальна.
Как известно, что гомотерии были относительно менее массивными, нежели другие саблезубые кошки и даже некоторые современные пантеры, такие как тигры и львы. Тем не менее среди гомотериев были поистине гигантские экземпляры, чья плечевая кость была толще, чем у смилодона популятора. А если плечевая кость некоторых гомотериев была толще, чем у смилодона популятора (самого крупного из смилодонов), значит эти гомотерии, будучи ОТНОСИТЕЛЬНО менее массивными должны были НАМНОГО превосходить смилодонов своими линейными размерами (они должны были быть выше и длиннее).
Вот ПДФ о гигантском гомотерии - http://www.palarch.nl/wp-content/dick_mol_wilrie_van_logchem_a_humerus_of_the_saber_toothed_cat_homotherium_crenatidens_weithofer_1889_dredged_from_the_seabed_between_the_british_islands_and_the_netherlands_palarchs_newsletter_6_1_201.pdf
Его вес определяют в 400 кг. Я думаю, что он весил 400 кг как минимум, но склоняюсь к тому что его вес составлял примерно 450-500 кг. Для ориентира вот ПДФ о посткраниальном скелете смилодона популятора - http://www.sbpbrasil.org/revista/edicoes/11_3/castro.pdf

Кости задней конечности гомотерия, слева, и современного льва, справа:


Гомотериум серум. Длина черепа 30+ см.






Малоберцовая кость гомотерия.












Homotherium latidens:


Гомотерий (вверху) и мегантереон (внизу):



According to relationships between thigh bone (femur) measurements and body weights of large carnivores, H. serum may have weighed about 230 kg in the lion range.

Mr Mol, who is based at the Natural History Museum in Rotterdam, said the partial humerus belonged to a "huge" (probably male) cat that weighed about 400kg (881lbs).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/7735544.stm

Фрагмент плечевой кости гигантской особи гомотерия рядом с фрагментом плечевой кости "типичного" гомотерия:


Homotherium latidens.


Homotherium serum.


Homotherium crenatidens (14 дюймов длина, 5 ширина, 6 высота).


Sabertooth Cat - Homotherium cf. crenatidens. Age: Early to mid Pliocene, (3 million years ago). The genus Homotherium comprises a unique group of saber tooth cats. Besides having their front limbs longer than the rear, most have robust incisors accompanied by medium to short, coarsely serrated canines. They were most likely a pursuit predator, and the incisors may have been used in conjunction with the killing bite, unlike those found on the more familiar saber tooth cat, Smilodon. Although their range was extensive, known from North America, Eurasia, and Africa, their occurrence is somewhat limited, and usually with only fragmentary remains. Although this specimen experienced some lateral crushing during fossilization, its dentition is almost flawless and, with its matching lowers, presents a wonderful and scientifically accurate example of these unique saber tooth cats. We are grateful to the Babiarz Institute of Paleontological Studies for the opportunity to cast this individual.



Homotherium Latidens & Cave Lions:

The common large felid from the late Pleistocene of Europe is the cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea), which is supposed to have preyed upon nearly all of the available larger mammals in its vicinity, such as horse, deer, bison, aurochs, yak, musk ox, sheep, goat, saiga antelope, juvenile mammoth, and juvenile rhinoceros (Kahlke, 1999). Homotherium was of almost the same size as the cave lion, and it is supposed to have fed upon juvenile Mammuthus primigenius and other such large prey (Hooijer, 1962; Turner and Anto�n, 1997). The recovery of only a single dentary in the North Sea is obviously not enough to make suppositions about the geographical range of Homotherium in Europe during the late Pleistocene. Further investigations will be needed to determine if specimens of H. latidens can be found in existing collections of late Pleistocene postcranial fossils now attributed to P. leo spelaea. In this respect, it is finally worth stressing that the now established occurrence of this large predator as an element of the late Pleistocene large carnivore guild opens a new perspective, and necessitates a re-evaluation of the competitive relationship between large carnivorans and Homo in the late Pleistocene of Europe.
Evidence of cursorial adaptations in Homotherium suggests a hunting technique different from modern cats or smilodontine sabre-tooths. Some, like reduction of the claws, would have limited the ability of individual homotheres to bring down large prey, implying group action. Homotherium would also have been disadvantaged in direct confrontation with Pleistocene lions by smaller body mass, reduced forepaw muscle strength, smaller claws and more fragile dentition. Its hunting technique would have worked best in more open habitats, but competition from lions would have forced it to seek moderate cover.