Research overview: isotopic evidence for proboscidean prey in Homotherium

This overview surveys how isotopic and contextual evidence has been used to test the long-standing idea that the scimitar-toothed cat Homotherium specialized in hunting young proboscideans. At sites such as Friesenhahn Cave, the abundance of juvenile mammoth remains alongside Homotherium fossils first suggested this prey preference, and stable isotope studies of the cat's bone collagen offer an independent line of inquiry into which herbivores dominated its diet. The survey reviews how isotopic signatures are compared with those of mammoths and other potential prey, what such analyses reveal about Homotherium feeding ecology and possible prey specialization, and how diet relates to the scimitar cat's cursorial, open-country adaptations. It discusses how combining geochemistry with taphonomic evidence sharpens reconstructions of how this widespread sabertooth made its living.