Bite club: comparative bite force in big biting mammals and the prediction of predatory behaviour in fossil taxa

This study compiled and compared estimated bite forces across many large carnivorous mammals, both living and extinct, to test how bite mechanics relate to predatory behaviour and to predict the habits of fossil species including sabertooth cats. By scaling bite force to body mass, the authors placed taxa such as Smilodon within a comparative framework and showed that the sabertooth's bite force was relatively low for its size, reinforcing the view that it relied on body and forelimb strength rather than jaw power to subdue prey. The work provided a widely cited benchmark dataset and methodology for inferring the predatory strategies of extinct carnivores from skeletal mechanics, and helped formalize the contrast between sabertooths and conventional conical-toothed predators.