The enlarged canines of these species were not only a unique morphological trait but also were used as a specialized hunting tool.Meloro, Carlo. 2013. Cats in the forest: predicting habitat adaptations from humerus morphometry in extant and fossil Felidae (Carnivora). Paleobiology, Vol. 39, Issue 3, p. 323 -344. It is proposed that the effective use of the specialized canines is the canine shear-bite. This is a model that shows how the teeth would bite the prey's neck or other convex area of the body, and use the upper jaw as an anchor to pull the teeth down through the skin and create large puncture wounds for blood loss and possibly tear a significant flesh wound.Piras, P., Malorino, L., Teresi, L., Meloro, C., Lucci, F., Kotsakis, T., & Raia, P. 2013. Bite of the cats: relationships between functional integration and mechanical performance as revealed by mandible geometry. Systematic Biology, Vol. 62, Issue 6., p. 878-900. The shearing bite as mentioned above would cause less tooth breakage when used in fast pursuit.
