When you look at this sabertooth tiger skull, you see a predator. This particular specimen is smilodon fatalis, one of three main sabertooth tiger species. Capable of weighing anywhere between 353 to 617 pounds, this cat didn’t hunt the same way modern large felines do; instead of chasing after prey, evidence suggests that it pounced from ambush and delivered a single fatal rip with its elongated, seven-inch teeth, and waited for their prey to perish. Despite its status as a top predator of the age, none of the evidence I’ve come across suggests they had a major impact on their environment. However, on the other hand, their very existence and status as a predator somehow influences us today. It not only serves as a focus for understanding history and the time period in which it lived, but it’s also a source of inspiration in pop culture today.