A lumpy, rounded rock with a couple of exposed teeth became the subject of study for John Moretti, a doctoral student at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences who led the research.
The fossil was X-rayed which led to the discovery of a hidden canine tooth that had not erupted from the jaw bone. This allowed the researchers to identify the subject of the fossil as aThe large cat was about the size of a jaguar, with an elongated face, lanky front legs, and a sloping back that ended in a bobtail. Their serrated canine teeth were covered by large gum flaps, similar to domestic dogs today.
The discovery of this fossil on the Texas coast gives scientists a small glimpse into the ecology of this landscape during the Late Pleistocene, Moretti said
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