Cougars may have survived the mass extinction 12,000 years ago because they weren't "picky eaters."
The researchers believe the large feline's varied diet could have given them an advantage over their peers that perished, such as the saber-toothed tiger, a Vanderbilt University news release reported.
"Before the Late Pleistocene extinction, six species of large cats roamed the plains and forests of North America. Only two - the cougar and jaguar - survived. The goal of our study was to examine the possibility that dietary factors can explain the cougar's survival," Larisa R.G. DeSantis, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at Vanderbilt University, said in the news release.
Researchers used a new technique called dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) to make their findings. The technique uses a confocal microscope to create a 3D image of a tooth. The researchers looked for wear patterns to gain insight into the animal's diet.
