Research overview: isotopic reconstruction of Smilodon prey choice

This overview surveys how stable isotope studies have been used to identify the prey of Smilodon at sites such as Rancho La Brea. By comparing carbon and nitrogen values in sabertooth bone collagen with those of contemporary herbivores like bison, horses, camels, and ground sloths, researchers narrow down which animals contributed most to the cat's diet. The survey reviews evidence that Smilodon focused on large herbivores from particular habitats, how its isotopic niche overlapped with or differed from that of the American lion and dire wolf, and what such partitioning implies about competition in the megafaunal predator guild. It highlights how geochemistry converts longstanding anatomical guesses about sabertooth prey into testable, quantitative inferences.