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Prehistoric sabertooth skull found in Iowa likely last of species to walk Earth, researchers say
AMES, Iowa - A well-preserved sabertooth cat skull found in southwest Iowa may have been one of the last of the species to walk the planet as glaciers receded and temperatures rose, according to researchers.Radiocarbon dating indicates the male cat died at the end of the Ice Age between 13,605 and 13,460 years ago before getting buried in the East Nishnabotna River, according to Matthew Hil, an associate professor of archaeology at Iowa State and expert on animal bones. Hill analyzed the specimen along with David Easterla, professor emeritus of biology at Northwest Missouri State University. Their findings were recently published in Quaternary Science Reviews.Hill said the chance of finding any fossilized remains from a sabertooth cat is slim, and finding one in Page County is even rarer.Ventral side of sabertooth cat skull (Credit: Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University) "The skull is a really big deal," he added.