amnhnyc:

🚨 New research alert! Carnivores typically have forward-facing eye sockets to ensure stereoscopic (3D) vision—an important trait for judging the position of prey during hunting. But the “marsupial sabertooth” Thylacosmilus had wide-set eyes and laterally facing sockets, adaptations seen more often in herbivores than meat-eaters. So how could it maintain an estimated diet of 70 percent meat?

A team of researchers, including Museum scientist Ross MacPhee, think special adaptations allowed Thylacosmilus to see in 3D despite its unusual anatomy. Using CT scanning and 3D virtual reconstructions, they’ve compared this predator’s visual system to those of modern and extinct carnivores.

Learn more about their findings! Link in our bio.
Image: © Jorge Blanco

#paleontology #paleoart #science #amnh #museum
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