Prehistoric predators kept large animals in check and shaped ecosystem
Our prehistoric ancestors may have had large carnivores – giant lions, sabertooth cats, bears and hyenas up to twice the size of their modern relatives – to thank for an abundance and diversity of plants and wildlife. Likewise, modern ecosystems, from tropical forests to the American West, may depend on the ability of large carnivores to control grazing animals. Those are among the conclusions of scientists who used ice-age fossils and historical data from modern surveys of animal populations to investigate the nature of predator-prey relationships. Researchers led by Professor Blaire