Name Index

To

Notes on a Tooth of Machairodus Latidens in the Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter

Trans. Devon. Assoc. vol. 5 (1875), pp 247-260.

by

W. Pengelly, F.R.S., F.G.S. Etc.

Prepared by Michael Steer

The Paper was presented at the Association’s July 1875, Torrington meeting. Sabre toothed cats (Machairodontinae) are the extinct cousins of modern conical-toothed cats. Rev. John MacEnery in 1826 identified and figured a number of canines from Kent’s cavern. These particular canines subsequently formed the basis for Professor Richard Owen’s description of the first sabertooth cat, Machairodus latidens. Considerable confusion arose over the Kent’s cavern material due to MacEnery’s early death and the posthumous dispersal of both his writings and his fossils. As important as they are, the lack of a cohesive understanding of what material was found hindered a complete understanding of both the site itself, and the species too. The Paper’s author, a Devonshire geologist whose lifetime almost spanned the 19 th century, pursued an active life; his wide interests fitted him to become a highly respected tutor and lecturer, while he did all he could to foster local education. Of the discoveries made in Kent's Cavern, in his opinion “next to the Human Industrial Remains discovered there, none have attracted so much attention, nor excited so much interest, as the teeth of Machairodus Latidens, formerly known as Ursus Cultridens. “Nor”, stated Pengelly, “is this interest diminished by the fact that during the careful, systematic, and uninterrupted exploration of the Cavern from March 28, 1865, to the present (1875), no further trace of the great ‘sabre-toothed felis’ has been found”. The Paper, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.