California

=By Aislin Campos=

__California's State Fossil__

 * California’s state fossil is the sabre tooth cat or the //Smilodon californicus//

 __Description__

 * The sabre tooth cat had long dagger-like upper canine teeth that they used for stabbing and slicing up their prey. Therefore their lower canine teeth were much smaller and shorter. On the front end of the lower jaw there was a flange that protected the upper canines. Since they had those large teeth the saber tooth cat's scull was different from the scull of cats today. Their nostril openings were receded from the position they are held for the cats today. The jaw was constructed in a way that it would swing to almost a perfect right angle when it opened to attack. yet the lower jaw wasn't able to hold much biting strength as cats do today. The structure of the body and limbs were very similar in size of a living African lion but they were slightly different. The hind limbs were weak while the front limbs, rib basket, and breastbone were very strong. The limbs gave hint that the sabre tooth cat wasn't much of a fleet-footed carnivore but rather waited for its prey that relatively moved slowly. The placement of the nostril openings allowed the cat to breath when it had its head bent in attack. it contained a strong grooved gumthat might have helped it to suck up blood from its prey.

This shows how the environment of the Sabre Tooth Cat was like and shows the comparison between the wolfs mouth an it's own.

__Time it Existed__

 * They lived in the late Eocene and early Oligocene time that was approximately 40 to 35 million years ago.
 *  As seen in the pictures above the saber tooth cat lived in a grassy terrain and had plenty of food. Later when the icy era came the mammoths and other of its prey couldn't stand the climate change and began to die out. This caused there extinction therefore the saber tooth cat became extinct as well.

__Preservation__

 * The fossils that were found in California were preserved in shallow pools of natural asphalt.
 * This type of tar only preserved the hard part of animals meaning their bones.

__ Who found the Fossil/Why is it the State Fossil __

 * The first one to describe the Saber-toothed cat from fossils that he discovered in a cave in Lagoa Santa, Brazil, in 1842 was Peter Wilhelm Lund.
 * The one to find it in California was Assemblyman Alan Sieroty he was the one purposed that the cat be passed as the state fossil because of its greatness and ferocity.

__ Sources __

 * McCoy, E. K. (2004, December). //State symbols usa//. Retrieved from http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/California/fossil_sabre_tooth.html
 * Smith, T. (1996, March 4). //Smilodon skull// . Retrieved from http://users.cuci.nl/smits/Sabre.htm
 * Crouthamel, S. J. (2009, August). //Prehistoric cultures of north america//. Retrieved from http://daphne.palomar.edu/ais130/Lectures/paleoind.htm
 *  Gal, G. (2010, May 11). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://greenbeangal.blogspot.com/2010/05/ice-age-bay-area-kqed-quest.htm
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> thechairwoman. (2011, September ). //Smilodon californicus custom skeleton (replica)//. Retrieved from http://www.polyvore.com/smilodon_californicus_custom_skeleton_replica/thing?id=43192128
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">TheFieldMuseum. (Producer) (2010, March 26). Why did mammoths go extinct?. //youtube//. [Video podcast]. Retrieved from []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Jacobs. (2012, Febuary 21). //Why did the saber tooth tiger go extinct? read more: Why did the saber tooth tiger go extinct? | ehow.com []//
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Viney, M. (2008). //Chemical preservation//. Retrieved from http://petrifiedwoodmuseum.org/chemicalpreservation.htm
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. (2012). //Saber-toothed cat - smilodon fatalis//. Retrieved from http://www.cmnh.org/site/AtTheMuseum/OnExhibit/PermanentExhibits/Saber-toothedCat.aspx
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">NState. (2010, August 16). //California state fossil//. Retrieved from http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/fossils/ca_fossil.htm