The dirk‐tooth Smilodon and the cookie‐cutter Xenosmilus , both saber‐tooth ambush predators, show differences in killing bite strategy, forelimb musculoskeletal proportions and shoulder and elbow joint ranges of movement, demonstrating there is more than one suite of adaptations that allows for the killing of large prey

Dirk‐tooth Smilodon and scimitar‐tooth Xenosmilus sabercats were ambush predators. With short legs, plantigrade hind feet and heavy musculature both were adapted for capturing and killing large‐bodied prey. The Smilodon skeleton was described previously; that of Xenosmilus recently. The latter included a functional reconstruction with muscle maps, showing that muscle scars reveal more than one way to capture large prey. Each species emphasizes different musculoskeletal characters. Specifically, Smilodon's humeral head is ovate, that of Xenosmilus rounded, suggesting lateral glenohumeral movement restriction in Smilodon . In contrast, the humeroulnar articulation is less restricted, giving Smilodon a greater forearm range of motion , although distal limb movements are primarily anteroposterior. Limb muscle proportions in both also differ. Although each has an equally robust brachialis origin, it is more proximal in Smilodon , i. e ., this cat emphasized humeroulnar joint flexion speed. Collectively, anatomic differences suggest that Smilodon had a more stereotyped prey killing method than Xenosmilus , a conclusion that agrees with requirements for extremely precise killing bites in the dirk‐tooth in comparison to the scimitar‐tooth. These results also demonstrate that prey‐capture demands outweigh phylogenetic history, resulting in generally similar ecomorphs that differ in anatomic detail.