Data from: Morphological convergence of the prey-killing arsenal of sabertooth predators

Sabertooth members of the Felidae, Nimravidae, and Barbourofelidae are
well-known for their elongated saber-shaped canines. However, within these
groups, there is a wide range of independently derived tooth shapes and
lengths, including dirk-tooth and scimitar-tooth morphs. In conjunction
with the saberteeth, forelimbs were also used to subdue prey. Thus, there
may be a functional link between canine shape and forelimb morphology.
Because there are no living sabertooth forms for comparison, extant felids
make a good proxy for examining the morphology of these extinct organisms.
Here, I examine the forelimb morphology of different sabertooth groups
from across North America; I address whether forelimb morphologies are
associated with tooth morphologies, and whether these associated tooth and
forelimb morphologies are convergent among different families. To answer
these questions, I analyzed six functional indices of the forelimbs and
two canine characters for 13 species of sabertooth predators and 15 extant
felid species. Results indicate that sabertooth morphs with longer,
thinner canines show more robust limb proportions. These patterns were
convergent among sabertooth felids, nimravids, and barbourofelids, and
indicate a positive functional relationship between saber elongation and
increased forelimb robustness. This suggests that sabertooth carnivorans
demonstrated niche partitioning of predation strategies according to
canine shape and corresponding forelimb morphology.