The Beast of the Ice Age.

Edition number two. If you don't know what this is, what rock have you lived under you entire life? Smilodon was a large machairodontid feline, that everyone recognizes as the saber-toothed tiger, even though their not that closely related to modern cats at all. Their were, at this point in time, 3 species, including the almost unheard of S. gracilis, and the well known S. fatalis. But the most awesome in my opinion was S. populator, which is in the running for the world's biggest cat. It was 47 inches (That's 3.9 feet or 1.19 meters) at the shoulder and estimates have placed it anywhere from 490-880 pounds, though that will probably change as science is prone to do. Smilodon had a compact body with a short tail, so it's turn radias had nothing on a lion, but it's forelimbs were huge and its hind limbs well adapted for leaping, so if it got close to giant prey, it could wrestle it to the ground, hold it still, and strike the jugular with it's foot long canines. Speaking of the fangs, yes lips. I don't know if it's accepted in main stream paleontology, but I think it makes sense, because exposed like that, teath risk breakage, would become dry and brittle, thus causing them to break, and in this case, get stuck in any bush ever, thus causing them to break. And before you say "But elephants and walruses" tusk are different from normal teeth, although I suppose you could make the lips go halfway down the fangs and have lick them or drool a lot, that's not that unreasonable. I decided to give it more cat-like than bulldog lips because, while not impossible, I find it highly unlikely as at this point in time, we have found no natural animal with such lips. I based the lips on those of a clouded leopard, which might I add also have vary large teeth, give my Smilodon huge upper lips and low hanging lower lips. As for the mane, pure speculation and you could argue it all you want, I mostly put I there for a good picture. Thank You and Goodnight.😴