Tawky Tawny is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic tiger who appears as a supporting character of Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family in superhero / talking animal comic book stories published by Fawcett Comics and later DC Comics .
111-787: Created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck in Captain Marvel Adventures #79, the traditional version of Tawky Tawny is a humanoid and well mannered tiger who wishes to be a part of human society. A friend of the Marvel Family, Tawny often participates in their adventures. Later versions introduced in the 2000s and beyond often feature Tawny as more tiger-like, though typically retaining his ability to talk. Mr. Tawny made his first appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures #79 (1947), published by Fawcett Comics . The story "The Talking Tiger" introduced him as an anthropomorphic Bengal tiger who traveled from his native India to
222-454: A Smilodon suffering hip dysplasia at a young age that survived to adulthood suggests that it could not have survived to adulthood without aid from a social group, as this individual was unable to hunt or defend its territory due to the severity of its congenital issue. The brain of Smilodon was relatively small compared to other cat species. Some researchers have argued that Smilodon 's brain would have been too small for it to have been
333-557: A domestic cat . This indicates that S. fatalis used less olfaction for its daily activities than modern felids. Many Smilodon specimens have been excavated from asphalt seeps that acted as natural carnivore traps. Animals were accidentally trapped in the seeps and became bait for predators that came to scavenge, but these were then trapped themselves. The best-known of such traps are at La Brea in Los Angeles, which have produced over 166,000 Smilodon fatalis specimens that form
444-462: A pooka , with The Power of Shazam! #4 being his first appearance in the series. Tawny is given life by Satanus to help Billy Batson and the Marvel Family in their fight against his sister, the demon Blaze . Under Satanus' spell, Tawny only appeared sentient to Billy, Mary, and Uncle Dudley; everyone else only sees a doll. Towards the conclusion of this story arc in The Power of Shazam! #11, Tawny
555-516: A believer in extraterrestrial life . Binder's theory was that human beings are "homo hybrid", an "interstellar crossbreed" (half human, half extraterrestrial). He first discussed this hypothesis in his 1968 book Flying Saucers Are Watching Us (later called Unsolved Mysteries of the Past , Tower Publications; reissue edition, 1970). He wrote Mankind Child of the Stars with Max Flindt in 1974, discussing
666-424: A bite only a third as strong as that of a lion (the bite force quotient measured for the lion is 112). There seems to be a general rule that the saber-toothed cats with the largest canines had proportionally weaker bites. Analyses of canine bending strength (the ability of the canine teeth to resist bending forces without breaking) and bite forces indicate that the saber-toothed cats' teeth were stronger relative to
777-492: A car jumped the curb, went into the driveway in front of the school, and killed her. As film producer and comics historian Michael Uslan , a family friend, recalled, "Otto never recovered. His wife never recovered. She had a breakdown, and Otto started drinking, and eventually he dropped dead of a heart attack . And the three of them were gone, like in a flash." Binder recalled in a 1972 history of comics, that after his daughter's death ... we finally made up our minds to 'start
888-507: A carcass of meat when feeding without being hindered by their long canines. Despite being more powerfully built than other large cats, Smilodon had a weaker bite. Modern big cats have more pronounced zygomatic arches , while these were smaller in Smilodon , which restricted the thickness and therefore power of the temporalis muscles and thus reduced Smilodon ' s bite force. Analysis of its narrow jaws indicates that it could produce
999-457: A folded orbicularis oris muscle , and such a muscle arrangement exists in modern large felids. Antón stated that extant phylogenetic bracketing (where the features of the closest extant relatives of a fossil taxon are used as reference) is the most reliable way of restoring the life-appearance of prehistoric animals, and the cat-like Smilodon restorations by Knight are therefore still accurate. A 2022 study by Antón and colleagues concluded that
1110-423: A literary agent in charge of Kline's New York City office most prominently marketing the stories of Robert E. Howard , although insufficient business during this Great Depression era forced Kline to close his company after a year and a half. At the time of Otto's move to New York City, Earl Binder dissolved the writing partnership, and all new material produced under the name of Eando Binder from January 1936 on,
1221-512: A mystical, non-anthropomorphic tiger and servant of Shazam who can assume a human form. Otto Binder Otto Oscar Binder ( / ˈ b ɪ n d ər / ; August 26, 1911 – October 13, 1974) was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books . He is best known as the co-creator of Supergirl and for his many scripts for Captain Marvel Adventures and other stories involving
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#17327982429621332-575: A new life.' When we moved to upstate New York in 1969, I quit DC and comics entirely and went back into the sci-fi paperback field. Curtis Books bought seven of my books in a row, including a few oldies, and Belmont issued another half a dozen. I began selling 'gothics' besides a batch of flying saucer books and articles for Saga magazine. In 1973, Binder worked for Vincent Fago 's Pendulum Press , adapting classic science-fiction stories into comic book format, including Frankenstein , The Invisible Man , The Time Machine , 20,000 Leagues Under
1443-500: A newspaper comic strip featuring Mr. Tawny in 1953. After Fawcett Comics shut down, DC acquired their characters, including Tawky Tawny. Tawky Tawny was written out of continuity following DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths maxiseries in 1985-86. A new version of the character was introduced by Jerry Ordway and Peter Krause in DC's The Power of Shazam! graphic novel in 1994 and its subsequent comic book series spinoff in 1995. In
1554-485: A period rich with science fiction, which enthralled Binder and his brother Earl. The two began writing in partnership and sold their first story, "The First Martian" to Amazing Stories in 1930; it saw publication in 1932 under the pen name " Eando Binder " ("E" and "O" Binder). Not earning enough as a writer, Binder and his brother worked at many jobs. Earl found employment at an iron works . In late December 1935, Otto Binder began working for Otis Adelbert Kline as
1665-416: A reduced lumbar region , high scapula , short tail, and broad limbs with relatively short feet. Smilodon is most famous for its relatively long canine teeth, which are the longest found in the saber-toothed cats, at about 28 cm (11 in) long in the largest species, S. populator . The canines were slender and had fine serrations on the front and back side. The skull was robustly proportioned and
1776-508: A respectable gentleman, Tawny typically dressed in a tweed suit, and spoke and acted in a dignified manner. His second appearance, "Captain Marvel and the Return of Mr. Tawny" (from Captain Marvel Adventures #82 in 1948), featured Tawny's origin story: Tawny had been a regular tiger who was accused of killing a man. To allow Tawny to clear his name, a local hermit gave him a serum that gave him
1887-706: A shoulder height of 100 cm (39 in) and body length of 175 cm (69 in). It was similar to a lion in dimensions, but was more robust and muscular, and therefore had a larger body mass. Its skull was also similar to that of Megantereon , though more massive and with larger canines. S. populator was among the largest known felids , with a body mass range from 220 kg (490 lb) to over 400 kg (880 lb), and one estimate suggesting up to 470 kg (1,040 lb). A particularly large S. populator skull from Uruguay measuring 39.2 cm (15.4 in) in length indicates this individual may have weighed as much as 436 kg (961 lb). It stood at
1998-553: A shoulder height of 120 cm (47 in). Compared to S. fatalis , S. populator was more robust and had a more elongated and narrow skull with a straighter upper profile, higher positioned nasal bones , a more vertical occiput , more massive metapodials and slightly longer forelimbs relative to hindlimbs. Large fossil tracks from Argentina (for which the ichnotaxon name Smilodonichium has been proposed) have been attributed to S. populator , and measure 17.6 cm (6.9 in) by 19.2 cm (7.6 in). This
2109-558: A similar scenario, and have also produced fossils of Smilodon . Unlike in La Brea, many of the bones were broken or show signs of weathering. This may have been because the layers were shallower, so the thrashing of trapped animals damaged the bones of previously trapped animals. Many of the carnivores at Talara were juveniles, possibly indicating that inexperienced and less fit animals had a greater chance of being trapped. Though Lund thought accumulations of Smilodon and herbivore fossils in
2220-431: A social animal. An analysis of brain size in living big cats found no correlation between brain size and sociality. Another argument against Smilodon being social is that being an ambush hunter in closed habitat would likely have made group-living unnecessary, as in most modern cats. Yet it has also been proposed that being the largest predator in an environment comparable to the savanna of Africa, Smilodon may have had
2331-630: A social structure similar to modern lions, which possibly live in groups primarily to defend optimal territory from other lions (lions are the only social big cats today). Whether Smilodon was sexually dimorphic has implications for its reproductive behavior. Based on their conclusions that Smilodon fatalis had no sexual dimorphism, Van Valkenburgh and Sacco suggested in 2002 that, if the cats were social, they would likely have lived in monogamous pairs (along with offspring) with no intense competition among males for females. Likewise, Meachen-Samuels and Binder concluded in 2010 that aggression between males
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#17327982429622442-454: A stabbing canine-shear bite, whereas the latter had more trabecular bone and used a clamp and hold style more similar to lions. The two would therefore have held distinct ecological niches. By finding of correlation between relative cribriform plate size and repertoire of functional olfactory receptor genes, it was found that S. fatalis had a slightly smaller repertoire than modern felids with 600 olfatory receptor genes, compared to 677 of
2553-498: A straight line across. The p3 premolar tooth of the mandible was present in most early specimens, but lost in later specimens; it was only present in 6% of the La Brea sample. There is some dispute over whether Smilodon was sexually dimorphic . Some studies of S. fatalis fossils have found little difference between the sexes. Conversely, a 2012 study found that, while fossils of S. fatalis show less variation in size among individuals than modern Panthera , they do appear to show
2664-787: A teen superhero team from the future that eventually became one of DC's most popular features. Binder and Plastino debuted the supervillain Brainiac and the Bottle City of Kandor in Action Comics #242 (July 1958) and co-created Supergirl in Action Comics #252 (May 1959). With various artist collaborators, he co-created Krypto the Super Dog , the Phantom Zone , and the supporting characters Lucy Lane , Beppo
2775-487: A typical cat and similar to a bulldog , with a lower lip line (to allow its mouth to open wide without tearing the facial tissues), a more retracted nose and lower-placed ears. Paleoartist Mauricio Antón and coauthors disputed this in 1998 and maintained that the facial features of Smilodon were overall not very different from those of other cats. Antón noted that modern animals like the hippopotamus are able to open their mouths extremely wide without tearing tissue due to
2886-429: A weight of 160 to 280 kg (350 to 620 lb) and height of 100 cm (39 in). Both of these species are mainly known from North America , but remains from South America have also been attributed to them (primarily from the northwest of the continent). S. populator from South America was the largest species, at 220 to 436 kg (485 to 961 lb) in weight and 120 cm (47 in) in height, and
2997-605: Is S. gracilis , which existed from 2.5 million to 500,000 years ago (early Blancan to Irvingtonian ages) and was the successor in North America of Megantereon , from which it probably evolved. Megantereon itself had entered North America from Eurasia during the Pliocene , along with Homotherium . S. gracilis reached the northern regions of South America in the Early Pleistocene as part of
3108-536: Is a regular tiger at the Philadelphia city zoo who is a friend of young Billy Batson. When Billy gains the power to transform into Shazam (the Captain Marvel character's name was changed at this time), Shazam finds that he can share his power with anyone he considers family. When a fight with Black Adam lands them in the zoo, Shazam attempts to give Tawny the power to turn into a giant smilodon but casts
3219-702: Is arrested for breaking "the Laws of Nature" by wearing clothes and reading a self-help book they view as 'forbidden literature' called How to Stop Eating Your Friends . After the Shazam Family travels to the Wildlands, they befriend Tawny, who later moves in with them. Tawky Tawny appears in Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam , voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson . This version is
3330-768: Is given permanent anthropomorphic form by the magical superhero Ibis the Invincible , after he proves to be more of an aid to the Marvels than Satanus intended. Following the cancellation of The Power of Shazam! in 1999, Tawny only appeared sporadically in DC Comics stories. In 52 #16 (2006), he appears as a guest of the wedding of reformed Marvel Family villain Black Adam and his bride Isis . In The Trials of Shazam! #10 (2007), Tawny helps Freddy Freeman (formerly Captain Marvel's sidekick Captain Marvel, Jr ) fight
3441-591: Is larger than tracks of the Bengal tiger , to which the footprints have been compared. Smilodon and other saber-toothed cats have been reconstructed with both plain-colored coats and with spotted patterns (which appears to be the ancestral condition for feliforms ), both of which are considered possible. Studies of modern cat species have found that species that live in the open tend to have uniform coats while those that live in more vegetated habitats have more markings, with some exceptions. Some coat features, such as
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3552-467: Is not supported today as no modern terrestrial mammals are pure scavengers. The brain of Smilodon had sulcal patterns similar to modern cats, which suggests an increased complexity of the regions that control the sense of hearing, sight, and coordination of the limbs. Felid saber-tooths in general had relatively small eyes that were not as forward-facing as those of modern cats, which have good binocular vision to help them move in trees. Smilodon
3663-536: Is still one of the best-known members of the group, to the point where the two concepts have been confused. The term " saber-tooth " itself refers to an ecomorph consisting of various groups of extinct predatory synapsids (mammals and close relatives), which convergently evolved extremely long maxillary canines , as well as adaptations to the skull and skeleton related to their use. This includes members of Gorgonopsia , Thylacosmilidae , Machaeroidinae , Nimravidae , Barbourofelidae , and Machairodontinae . Within
3774-423: Is unclear in what manner the bite itself was delivered. Scientists debate whether Smilodon had a social or a solitary lifestyle; analysis of modern predator behavior as well as of Smilodon ' s fossil remains could be construed to lend support to either view. Smilodon probably lived in closed habitats such as forests and bush , which would have provided cover for ambushing prey. Smilodon died out as part of
3885-553: The Ancient Greek meaning of Smilodon as σμίλη ( smilē ), "scalpel" or "two-edged knife", and οδόντος ( odóntos ), "tooth". This has also been translated as "tooth shaped like double-edged knife". He explained the species name populator as "the destroyer", which has also been translated as "he who brings devastation". Lund based the name on the shape of the incisors, and the large canine teeth were not known until 1846. By 1846, Lund had acquired nearly every part of
3996-600: The F. fatalis molar was identical to that of Smilodon , and he proposed the new combination S. fatalis . Most North American finds were scanty until excavations began in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles , where hundreds of individuals of S. fatalis have been found since 1875. S. fatalis has junior synonyms such as S. mercerii , S. floridanus , and S. californicus . American paleontologist Annalisa Berta considered
4107-497: The Great American Interchange . S. fatalis existed 1.6 million–10,000 years ago (late Irvingtonian to Rancholabrean ages), and replaced S. gracilis in North America. S. populator existed 1 million–10,000 years ago ( Ensenadan to Lujanian ages); it occurred in the eastern parts of South America. Smilodon was around the size of modern big cats , but was more robustly built. It had
4218-512: The Oligocene of Europe, such as Proailurus , and the earliest one with saber-tooth features is the Miocene genus Pseudaelurus . The skull and mandible morphology of the earliest saber-toothed cats was similar to that of the modern clouded leopards ( Neofelis ). The lineage further adapted to the precision killing of large animals by developing elongated canine teeth and wider gapes, in
4329-515: The Rancho La Brea area was likely comparable to modern East Africa . As Smilodon migrated to South America, its diet changed; bison were absent, the horses and proboscideans were different, and native ungulates such as toxodonts and litopterns were completely unfamiliar, yet S. populator thrived as well there as its relatives in North America. Isotopic analysis for S. populator suggests that its main prey species included
4440-714: The Shield , the Hangman , and the Black Hood . At Gold Key Comics , Binder co-created Mighty Samson and other characters. His science fiction for EC Comics includes "Lost in Space", illustrated by Al Williamson , in Weird Science-Fantasy #28 (March–April 1955). In 1948, Binder began working for DC Comics , then known as National Periodical Publications, swiftly creating Merry, Girl of 1,000 Gimmicks , in
4551-543: The United States to integrate into American society. Although he makes every effort to be sociable, his presence terrorizes the public, leading to Captain Marvel intervening. After learning of his motives, Marvel helps him get a job as a tour guide at the local museum. Tawny became a regular recurring character in Captain Marvel Adventures , appearing as the best friend of Captain Marvel and his juvenile alter-ego Billy Batson, until it ceased publication in 1953. As
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4662-493: The distress calls of prey than solitary species. Since S. fatalis fossils are common at the La Brea Tar Pits, and were likely attracted by the distress calls of stuck prey, this could mean that this species was social as well. One critical study claims that the study neglects other factors, such as body mass (heavier animals are more likely to get stuck than lighter ones), intelligence (some social animals, like
4773-472: The end-Pleistocene extinction event around 13-10,000 years ago, along with most other large animals across the Americas. Its reliance on large animals has been proposed as the cause of its extinction. Smilodon may have been impacted by habitat turnover and loss of prey it specialized on due to possible climatic impacts, the effects of recently arrived humans on prey populations, and other factors. During
4884-419: The muzzle was short and broad. The cheek bones (zygomata) were deep and widely arched, the sagittal crest was prominent, and the frontal region was slightly convex. The mandible had a flange on each side of the front. The upper incisors were large, sharp, and slanted forwards. There was a diastema (gap) between the incisors and molars of the mandible. The lower incisors were broad, recurved, and placed in
4995-551: The saber-toothed tiger , it was not closely related to the tiger or other modern cats, belonging to the extinct subfamily Machairodontinae , with an estimated date of divergence from the ancestor of living cats around 20 million years ago. Smilodon was one of the last surviving machairodonts alongside Homotherium . Smilodon lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 mya – 10,000 years ago). The genus
5106-414: The 1830s, Danish naturalist Peter Wilhelm Lund and his assistants collected fossils in the calcareous caves near the small town of Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais , Brazil. Among the thousands of fossils found, he recognized a few isolated cheek teeth as belonging to a hyena , which he named Hyaena neogaea in 1839. After more material was found (including incisor teeth and foot bones), Lund concluded
5217-536: The American lion, may have avoided the tar because they were better able to recognize the hazard), lack of visual and olfactory lures, the type of audio lure, and the length of the distress calls (the actual distress calls of the trapped prey animals would have lasted longer than the calls used in the study). The author of that study ponders what predators would have responded if the recordings were played in India, where
5328-514: The Lagoa Santa Caves were due to the cats using the caves as dens, these are probably the result of animals dying on the surface, and water currents subsequently dragging their bones to the floor of the cave, but some individuals may also have died after becoming lost in the caves. Scientists debate whether Smilodon was social . One study of African predators found that social predators like lions and spotted hyenas respond more to
5439-1185: The Machairodontinae diverged early from the ancestors of living cats and were not closely related to any living species. The ancestors of living cats and Machairodontinae estimated to have diverged around 20 million years ago. The following cladogram based on fossils and DNA analysis shows the placement of Smilodon among extinct and extant felids, after Rincón and colleagues, 2011: Proailurus Pseudaelurus Panthera (tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards) [REDACTED] Caracal [REDACTED] Leopardus ( ocelot and relatives) [REDACTED] Felis ( domestic cats and relatives) [REDACTED] Herpailurus (jaguarundi) [REDACTED] Miracinonyx [REDACTED] Puma (cougar) [REDACTED] Dinofelis [REDACTED] Nimravides Machairodus [REDACTED] Homotherium [REDACTED] Xenosmilus [REDACTED] Paramachairodus Megantereon Smilodon gracilis [REDACTED] Smilodon populator [REDACTED] Smilodon fatalis [REDACTED] The earliest felids are known from
5550-550: The Mastermen are shocked by what they find. The book is illustrated by Milton Caniff Award winning EC/Creepy/MAD artist Angelo Torres and the much acclaimed Austrian sculptor and speed painter Stefan Koidl. The introduction and foreword are written by Eisner Award winning graphic novelist Emil Ferris. Binder became editor of Space World magazine, a move that ended in bankruptcy in the early 1960s. As he recalled in 1974: I'm far from retired, simply because I can't afford it. All
5661-457: The North and South American species may be due to the difference in prey between the two continents. Smilodon may have avoided eating bone and would have left enough food for scavengers. Coprolites assigned to S. populator recovered from Argentina preserve osteoderms from the ground sloth Mylodon and a Lama scaphoid bone. In addition to this unambiguous evidence of bone consumption,
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#17327982429625772-669: The Sea , and The Mysterious Island . He died in Chestertown, New York , on October 13, 1974, leaving behind, counted Bridwell, "almost 50,000 pages of comics" comprising "over 1,300 scripts for Fawcett" and "more than 2,000 for 20 other publishers", including "some 93 heroes in 198 magazines". Binder was posthumously inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2004. He
5883-674: The Super Monkey , and Titano the Super Ape . In the first issue of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen , he introduced Jimmy Olsen 's signal-watch, and in #31, Jimmy's Elastic Lad identity. He wrote the Lois Lane feature in Showcase #9 (Aug. 1957) which served as a tryout for the character's own series . DC writer-editor E. Nelson Bridwell credits Binder as creating the first " Imaginary Tale , for Lois Lane", and of writing "most of
5994-440: The ability to speak and stand upright like a human. A contest was introduced in Captain Marvel Adventures #90 for the readers to submit entries for what Mr. Tawny's first name might be, with the winning entry by Mary Garrisi and Pat Laughlin of Detroit , "Tawky" (a deliberate misspelling of "talky"), being introduced in Captain Marvel Adventures #96. Writer Otto Binder and artist C. C. Beck unsuccessfully attempted to launch
6105-450: The belly of its prey. This is disputed, as the curvature of their prey's belly would likely have prevented the cat from getting a good bite or stab. In regard to how Smilodon delivered its bite, the "canine shear-bite" hypothesis has been favored, where flexion of the neck and rotation of the skull assisted in biting the prey, but this may be mechanically impossible. However, evidence from comparisons with Homotherium suggest that Smilodon
6216-439: The bite force than those of modern big cats. In addition, Smilodon 's gape could have reached over 110 degrees, while that of the modern lion reaches 65 degrees. This made the gape wide enough to allow Smilodon to grasp large prey despite the long canines. A 2018 study compared the killing behavior of Smilodon fatalis and Homotherium serum , and found that the former had a strong skull with little trabecular bone for
6327-484: The camel like litoptern ungulate Macrauchenia , the rhinoceros-like ungulate Toxodon platensis , the large armadillo relatives Pachyarmatherium , Holmesina , species of the glyptodont genus Panochthus , the llama Palaeolama , the ground sloth Catonyx , and the equine Equus neogeus , and the crocodilian Caiman latirostris . This analysis of its diet also indicates that S. populator hunted both in open and forested habitats. The differences between
6438-472: The canine to be distinct from that of the other Smilodon species due to its smaller size and more compressed base. Its specific name refers to the species' lighter build. This species is known from fewer and less complete remains than the other members of the genus. S. gracilis has at times been considered part of genera such as Megantereon and Ischyrosmilus . S. populator , S. fatalis and S. gracilis are currently considered
6549-432: The canines of another Smilodon (though it cannot be ruled out they were caused by kicking prey). If caused by intraspecific fighting, it may also indicate that they had social behavior which could lead to death, as seen in some modern felines (as well as indicating that the canines could penetrate bone). It has been suggested that the exaggerated canines of saber-toothed cats evolved for sexual display and competition, but
6660-428: The colloquial name "saber-toothed tiger", Smilodon is not closely related to the modern tiger (which belongs in the subfamily Pantherinae ), or any other extant felid. A 1992 ancient DNA analysis suggested that Smilodon should be grouped with modern cats (subfamilies Felinae and Pantherinae). A 2005 study found that Smilodon belonged to a separate lineage. A study published in 2006 confirmed this, showing that
6771-424: The concept of "astroevolution". Erich von Däniken wrote a foreword for the book, which was revised and reprinted in 1999. He wrote extensively about UFOs in magazines, including articles detailing the experiences of claimed UFO contactee Ted Owens . Binder's previously unpublished 1953 story, "The Unwanted", has been adapted as a graphic novel by Robert L. Reiner. To be published in early 2023 by Fantagraphics,
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#17327982429626882-401: The coprolites suggest that Smilodon had a more generalist diet than previously thought. Examinations of dental microwear from La Brea further suggests that Smilodon consumed both flesh and bone. Smilodon itself may have scavenged dire wolf kills. It has been suggested that Smilodon was a pure scavenger that used its canines for display to assert dominance over carcasses, but this theory
6993-533: The course of the Pleistocene, by the Late Pleistocene , only two genera of machairodonts remained, Smilodon , and the distantly related Homotherium , both largely confined to the Americas. Based on mitochondrial DNA sequences extracted from ancient bones , the lineages of Homotherium and Smilodon are estimated to have diverged about 18 million years ago. The earliest species of Smilodon
7104-412: The cross-sections of S. fatalis humeri indicated that they were strengthened by cortical thickening to such an extent that they would have been able to sustain greater loading than those of extant big cats, or of the extinct American lion. The humerus cortical wall in S. fatalis was a 15 % thicker than excpected in modern big cats of similar size. The thickening of S. fatalis femurs
7215-526: The early" Bizarro stories, including at least the first "Tales of the Bizarro World" feature. The character's first comic book appearance was in Superboy #68 (Oct. 1958) by Binder and artist George Papp and Bizarro World was introduced in Action Comics #263 (April 1960). Binder scripted what Bridwell calls the "classic [storyline] 'Superman's Return to Krypton .'" His last Superman story
7326-567: The entire superhero Marvel Family . He was prolific in the comic book field and is credited with writing over 4,400 stories across a variety of publishers under his own name, as well as more than 160 stories under the pen-name Eando Binder . Born in Bessemer, Michigan , Otto Binder was the youngest of six children born into a German - Lutheran family that had emigrated from Austria a year earlier. They settled in Chicago in 1922, during
7437-517: The evil Sabina, revealing a new ability to transform into a smilodon . In Final Crisis , Tawny kills Kalibak and takes over leadership of his Tigermen. In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Tawny appears as a recurring character in the Shazam! backup stories published in Justice League (vol. 2) from issue #7 through #21. In these stories, Tawny
7548-543: The evil teens Thaddeus Sivana Jr. and daughter Georgia. Binder and Beck unsuccessfully attempted to launch a newspaper comic strip featuring Mr. Tawky Tawny in 1953. Binder left Fawcett when the company shut down its comic book division in 1953, but found no shortage of work. For Timely Comics , the 1940s company that would evolve into Marvel Comics , he [co-]created Captain Wonder , the Young Allies , Tommy Tyme and
7659-697: The family Felidae (true cats), members of the subfamily Machairodontinae are referred to as saber-toothed cats, and this group is itself divided into three tribes : Metailurini (false saber-tooths); Homotherini ( scimitar -toothed cats); and Smilodontini ( dirk -toothed cats), to which Smilodon belongs. Members of Smilodontini are defined by their long slender canines with fine to no serrations , whereas Homotherini are typified by shorter, broad, and more flattened canines, with coarser serrations. Members of Metailurini were less specialized and had shorter, less flattened canines, and are not recognized as members of Machairodontinae by some researchers. Despite
7770-750: The feature " Star-Spangled Kid ", whose place Merry soon took in Star-Spangled Comics . He then moved on to his best-known DC work, the Superman group of titles, including launching the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen series in 1954. Binder and artist Al Plastino collaborated on the Superboy story in Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958) that introduced the Legion of Super-Heroes ,
7881-411: The fossils instead belonged to a distinct genus of felids, though transitional to the hyenas. He stated it would have matched the largest modern predators in size, and was more robust than any modern cat. Lund originally wanted to call the new genus Hyaenodon , but realizing this name had recently been applied to another prehistoric predator, he instead named it Smilodon populator in 1842. He explained
7992-509: The front incisors between the canines, the animals do not need to gape widely, so the canines of Smilodon would likewise not have been a hindrance when feeding. A study published in 2022 of how machairodonts fed revealed that wear patterns on the teeth of S. fatalis also suggest that it was capable of eating bone to a similar extent as lions. This and comparisons with bite marks left by the contemporary machairodont Xenosmilus suggest that Smilodon and its relatives could efficiently de-flesh
8103-452: The graphic novel, "Tawky Tawny" was a popular children's toy doll owned by Billy Batson's sister Mary Batson ; the doll plays a key part in the origin story of Black Adam by being used to hide part of the scarab necklace which allowed him to first access his powers. The subsequent comic series features the stuffed doll gaining the power from the evil demon Lord Satanus to transform into a six-foot anthropomorphic tiger who self-describes as
8214-436: The holotype of S. fatalis too incomplete to be an adequate type specimen, and the species has at times been proposed to be a junior synonym of S. populator . Nordic paleontologists Björn Kurtén and Lars Werdelin supported the distinctness of the two species in an article published in 1990. A 2018 article by the American paleontologist John P. Babiarz and colleagues concluded that S. californicus , represented by
8325-419: The improved senses would have helped the cats' precision when biting outside their field of vision, and thereby prevent breakage of the canines. The blade-like carnassial teeth were used to cut skin to access the meat, and the reduced molars suggest that they were less adapted for crushing bones than modern cats. As the food of modern cats enters the mouth through the side while cutting with the carnassials, not
8436-465: The largest collection in the world. The sediments of the pits there were accumulated 40,000 to 10,000 years ago, in the Late Pleistocene . Though the trapped animals were buried quickly, predators often managed to remove limb bones from them, but they were themselves often trapped and then scavenged by other predators; 90% of the excavated bones belonged to predators. The Talara Tar Seeps in Peru represent
8547-448: The largest collection of Smilodon fossils. Overall, Smilodon was more robustly built than any extant cat, with particularly well-developed forelimbs and exceptionally long upper canine teeth . Its jaw had a bigger gape than that of modern cats, and its upper canines were slender and fragile, being adapted for precision killing. S. gracilis was the smallest species at 55 to 100 kg (121 to 220 lb) in weight. S. fatalis had
8658-517: The latter of whom he co-created with Marc Swayze . Binder spent from 1941 to 1953 with Fawcett, writing "986 stories ... out of 1,743, over half the entire Marvel Family saga", per comic-book writer-editor E. Nelson Bridwell . His first Captain Marvel writing was the "Dime Action Book" novel Return of the Scorpion , featuring the villain from the 1941 Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel . His first Captain Marvel comic-book story
8769-485: The lucky break. So that left me without money reserves, and it was back to the comics until 1967, when my daughter—our only child—was killed by a car at age 14. For reasons difficult to explain, my wife and I moved from Englewood, New Jersey , to upstate New York where Jack lived. I was pretty broken up and found it difficult to write again up here, but went back to sci-fi, this time as the market hit. Otto Binder's daughter Mary, had been on her way to school one morning when
8880-458: The mandible was pulled against the hide of a prey animal. It has been experimentally proven by means of a machine that recreates the teeth, and simulates the movements of jaws and neck of Smilodon fatalis (The "Robocat") on bison and elk carcasses, that the stabbing bite to the throat is a much more plausible and practical killing technique than the stabbing bite to the belly. The protruding incisors were arranged in an arch, and were used to hold
8991-448: The manes of male lions or the stripes of the tiger, are too unusual to predict from fossils. Traditionally, saber-toothed cats have been artistically restored with external features similar to those of extant felids, by artists such as Charles R. Knight in collaboration with various paleontologists in the early 20th century. In 1969, paleontologist G. J. Miller instead proposed that Smilodon would have looked very different from
9102-401: The manuscript had been given to Reiner in the late sixties when he was a teenage fanzine editor and publisher. The story describes a census to be taken in the distant future. A civilization of "Mastermen" rule a galactic empire and visit this planet to determine if it is worthy to join an imperial congress. Membership means access to technology and protection. In evaluating this particular planet,
9213-474: The modern American bison ) and camels ( Camelops ) were most commonly taken by the cats there. Smilodon fatalis may have also occasionally preyed upon Glyptotherium , based on a skull from a juvenile Glyptotherium texanum recovered from Pleistocene deposits in Arizona that bear the distinctive elliptical puncture marks best matching those of Smilodon , indicating that the predator successfully bit into
9324-484: The money I made from the Marvels and had saved up went down the drain when, in 1960, I invested as junior partner in publishing Space World , a magazine about astronomics ... I think it was a good job I did as editor-in-chief—although the public stayed away from it in droves ... A loss every month on low sales. The mag lasted some 16 issues, during which time Bill Woolfolk and I had put in more money—I mortgaged my house—all paid up by Cap—and borrowed, etc., but we never got
9435-512: The new medium of comic books . The following year, magazine publisher Fawcett Publications began its Fawcett Comics line, and Binder started writing the exploits of such characters as Captain Venture, Golden Arrow, Bulletman , and El Carim. After a year, editor Ed Herron had Binder tackle Fawcett's most prominent character, the superhero Captain Marvel . He soon wrote for the spin-off features starring Captain Marvel, Jr. and Mary Marvel ,
9546-402: The only valid species of Smilodon , and features used to define most of their junior synonyms have been dismissed as variation between individuals of the same species (intraspecific variation). One of the most famous of prehistoric mammals, Smilodon has often been featured in popular media and is the state fossil of California. Long the most completely known saber-toothed cat , Smilodon
9657-440: The otherwise solitary tigers are known to aggregate around a single carcass. The authors of the original study responded that though effects of the calls in the tar pits and the playback experiments would not be identical, this would not be enough to overturn their conclusions. In addition, they stated that weight and intelligence would not likely affect the results as lighter carnivores are far more numerous than heavy herbivores and
9768-791: The patriotically themed superheroine Miss America , and wrote for stories starring Captain America , the Human Torch , the Sub-Mariner , the Destroyer , the Whizzer , and the All-Winners Squad . For Quality Comics , Binder co-created Kid Eternity , and wrote Blackhawk , Doll Man , Uncle Sam and Black Condor stories. For MLJ Comics (subsequently known as Archie Comics ), he wrote stories starring Steel Sterling ,
9879-427: The prey still and stabilize it while the canine bite was delivered. The contact surface between the canine crown and the gum was enlarged, which helped stabilize the tooth and helped the cat sense when the tooth had penetrated to its maximum extent. Since saber-toothed cats generally had a relatively large infraorbital foramen (opening) in the skull, which housed nerves associated with the whiskers, it has been suggested
9990-515: The process sacrificing high bite force . As their canines became longer, the bodies of the cats became more robust for immobilizing prey. In derived smilodontins and homotherins, the lumbar region of the spine and the tail became shortened, as did the hind limbs. Machairodonts once represented a dominant group of felids distributed across Africa, Eurasia and the North America during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, but progressively declined over
10101-481: The same difference between the sexes in some traits. S. gracilis was the smallest species, estimated at 55 to 100 kg (121 to 220 lb) in weight, about the size of a jaguar . It was similar to its predecessor Megantereon of the same size, but its dentition and skull were more advanced, approaching S. fatalis . S. fatalis was intermediate in size between S. gracilis and S. populator . It ranged from 160 to 280 kg (350 to 620 lb). and reached
10212-628: The second half of the 19th century onwards. In 1869, American paleontologist Joseph Leidy described a maxilla fragment with a molar , which had been discovered in a petroleum bed in Hardin County, Texas . He referred the specimen to the genus Felis (which was then used for most cats, extant as well as extinct) but found it distinct enough to be part of its own subgenus , as F. ( Trucifelis ) fatalis . The species name means "deadly". In an 1880 article about extinct American cats, American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope pointed out that
10323-726: The skeleton (from different individuals), and more specimens were found in neighboring countries by other collectors in the following years. Though some later authors used Lund's original species name neogaea instead of populator , it is now considered an invalid nomen nudum , as it was not accompanied with a proper description and no type specimens were designated. Some South American specimens have been referred to other genera, subgenera, species, and subspecies , such as Smilodontidion riggii , Smilodon ( Prosmilodon ) ensenadensis , and S. bonaeriensis , but these are now thought to be junior synonyms of S. populator . Fossils of Smilodon were discovered in North America from
10434-455: The skull through the glyptodont's armored cephalic shield. In addition, isotopes preserved in the tooth enamel of S. gracilis specimens from Florida show that this species fed on the peccary Platygonus and the llama -like Hemiauchenia . Stable carbon isotope measurements of S. gracilis remains in Florida varied significantly between different sites and show that the species
10545-416: The social (and seemingly intelligent) dire wolf is also found in the pits. Another argument for sociality is based on the healed injuries in several Smilodon fossils, which would suggest that the animals needed others to provide them food. This argument has been questioned, as cats can recover quickly from even severe bone damage and an injured Smilodon could survive if it had access to water. However,
10656-618: The specimens from the La Brea Tar Pits, was a distinct species from S. fatalis after all and that more research is needed to clarify the taxonomy of the lineage. In his 1880 article about extinct cats, Cope also named a third species of Smilodon , S. gracilis . The species was based on a partial canine, which had been obtained in the Port Kennedy Cave near the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. Cope found
10767-693: The spell incorrectly. The anthropomorphic version of Tawky Tawny makes his proper post-Flashpoint return in Geoff Johns' Shazam! series, making his first appearance in Shazam! (vol. 3) #4 (May 2019). This Tawny is a citizen of the Wildlands, one of the Seven Magiclands that are connected by the Rock of Eternity. Despite being a realm exclusively populated by anthropomorphic animals, the Wildlands segregates tigers from regular society and still regards them as wild animals kept in zoos. As such, Tawny
10878-461: The tracks indicate that the animal had fully retractible claws, plantigrade feet, lacked strong supination capabilities in its paws, notably robust forelimbs compared to the hindlimbs, and was probably an ambush predator. The heel bone of Smilodon was fairly long, which suggests it was a good jumper. Its well-developed flexor and extensor muscles in its forearms probably enabled it to pull down, and securely hold down, large prey. Analysis of
10989-400: The upper canines of Smilodon would have been visible when the mouth was closed, while those of Homotherium would have not, after examining fossils and extant big cats. An apex predator , Smilodon primarily hunted large mammals. Isotopes preserved in the bones of S. fatalis in the La Brea Tar Pits reveal that ruminants like bison ( Bison antiquus , which was much larger than
11100-770: Was "Captain Marvel Saves the King" in Captain Marvel Adventures #9 (April 1942). He wrote for numerous other Fawcett features, as well as many two-page text fillers that were required in comics in order to be eligible for magazine postal rates. His text stories in Captain Marvel Adventures , under the "Eando" pseudonym, starred Lieutenant Jon Jarl of the Space Patrol. During his time at Fawcett, Binder co-created with Swayze and C. C. Beck such characters as Mary Marvel, Uncle Dudley, Mr. Tawky Tawny , Black Adam , and Mr. Mind , as well as two of Doctor Sivana 's four children:
11211-405: Was "The Cage of Doom" in Action Comics #377 (June 1969). Binder was featured in a story in the first issue of Shazam , DC Comics' 1970s revival of the original Captain Marvel. The Binder character, drawn by C. C. Beck , meets a young Billy Batson and is astonished that the boy, who has been missing for 20 years, is still a kid. Binder was a proponent of the ancient astronauts theory, and
11322-520: Was among the largest known felids. The coat pattern of Smilodon is unknown, but it has been artistically restored with plain or spotted patterns. In North America, Smilodon hunted large herbivores such as bison and camels , and it remained successful even when encountering new prey taxa in South America such as Macrauchenia . Smilodon is thought to have killed its prey by holding it still with its forelimbs and biting it, but it
11433-498: Was flexible in its feeding habits. Isotopic studies of dire wolf ( Aenocyon dirus ) and American lion ( Panthera atrox ) bones show an overlap with S. fatalis in prey, which suggests that they were competitors. More detailed isotope analysis however, indicates that Smilodon fatalis preferred forest-dwelling prey such as tapirs, deer and forest-dwelling bison as opposed to the dire wolves' preferences for prey inhabiting open areas such as grassland. The availability of prey in
11544-524: Was fully capable of and utilized the canine shear-bite as its primary means of killing prey, based on the fact that it had a thick skull and relatively little trabecular bone, while Homotherium had both more trabecular bone and a more lion-like clamping bite as its primary means of attacking prey. The discovery, made by Figueirido and Lautenschlager et al., published in 2018 suggests extremely different ecological adaptations in both machairodonts. The mandibular flanges may have helped resist bending forces when
11655-520: Was less pronounced in S. fatalis than in the American lion. Christiansen and Harris found in 2012 that, as S. fatalis did exhibit some sexual dimorphism, there would have been evolutionary selection for competition between males. Some bones show evidence of having been bitten by other Smilodon , possibly the result of territorial battles, competition for breeding rights or over prey. Two S. populator skulls from Argentina show seemingly fatal, unhealed wounds which appear to have been caused by
11766-555: Was likely an ambush predator that concealed itself in dense vegetation, as its limb proportions were similar to modern forest-dwelling cats, and its short tail would not have helped it balance while running. Unlike its ancestor Megantereon , which was at least partially scansorial and therefore able to climb trees, Smilodon was probably completely terrestrial due to its greater weight and lack of climbing adaptations. Tracks from Argentina named Felipeda miramarensis in 2019 may have been produced by Smilodon . If correctly identified,
11877-429: Was named in 1842 based on fossils from Brazil; the generic name means "scalpel" or "two-edged knife" combined with "tooth". Three species are recognized today: S. gracilis , S. fatalis , and S. populator . The two latter species were probably descended from S. gracilis , which itself probably evolved from Megantereon . The hundreds of specimens obtained from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles constitute
11988-534: Was solely the work of Otto Binder. Concurrent with his agent work, Binder was writing for Mort Weisinger , editor of Thrilling Wonder Stories , and Ray Palmer , editor of Amazing , for the latter of whom he created the Adam Link series. Binder entered comics in 1939 on the heels of his artist brother, Jack , who moved to New York to work at the studio of Harry "A" Chesler , one of that era's "packagers" who provided outsourced content for publishers entering
12099-538: Was the posthumous recipient of the Bill Finger Award in 2010. Binder is referenced in the first episode of the 2015 television series Supergirl as the title character prevents a crippled jet from crashing into the "Otto Binder bridge". Smilodon This is an accepted version of this page Smilodon is an extinct genus of felids . It is one of the best known saber-toothed predators and prehistoric mammals. Although commonly known as
12210-466: Was willing to risk biting into bone with its canines. This may have been focused more towards competition such as other Smilodon or potential threats such as other carnivores than on prey. Debate continues as to how Smilodon killed its prey. Traditionally, the most popular theory is that the cat delivered a deep stabbing bite or open-jawed stabbing thrust to the throat, killing the prey very quickly. Another hypothesis suggests that Smilodon targeted
12321-428: Was within the range of extant felids. Its canines were fragile and could not have bitten into bone; due to the risk of breaking, these cats had to subdue and restrain their prey with their powerful forelimbs before they could use their canine teeth, and likely used quick slashing or stabbing bites rather than the slow, suffocating bites typically used by modern cats. On rare occasions, as evidenced by fossils, Smilodon
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