Gayle Anderson reports on how new research between paleontologists at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert Klapper at Cedars-Sinai could enhance patient care.

According to an article on the Cedars-Sinai blog, it’s been a “long-debated question among paleontologists” as to whether the saber-toothed cat — aka the smilodon — hunted in packs or alone when it roamed what’s now Wilshire Boulevard about 12,000 years ago.

After examining bone specimens at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum using modern imaging technology, Klapper concluded that the lion-sized animals must have been pack animals.

Klapper, researchers from the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, and staff from the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center used advanced CT scans to examine pelvis and thigh bones from saber-toothed cats.

One of the specimens they examined revealed the animal had been born with dysplasia, an abnormal development of the hip joint. It’s highly unlikely this animal could have survived on its own, according to Klapper.

Klapper hopes his work with these prehistoric bones will translate to better treatment options for human patients with dysplasia. The saber-toothed cats were larger than most humans, making them an ideal study for unusually sized prostheses.

Research like this could help create prostheses in new in-between sizes to help a wider variety of patients.

The new research and the CT study are now on display at the museum at La Brea Tar Pits, located at 5801 Wilshire Blvd. For information, call 213-763-3499 or visit tarpits.org.

If you have questions or complaints, please feel free to contact Gayle Anderson at 1-323-460-5732 or email at Gayle.Anderson@KTLA.com.

Gayle Anderson reports for the KTLA 5 News on July 10, 2023.