The sabretooth tiger may have looked a fearsome sight with its massive canines but its reputation takes something of a knock with a new piece of research.
Scientists who have studied the extinct creature's skull in detail say it had a relatively weak bite - compared with, say, a modern lion.
While it would have been a ruthlessly efficient hunter of big game, it was simply over-engineered for taking small prey - and that would have made it extremely vulnerable when times got hard.
A model of a modern lion (Panthera leo) was developed for comparison.
The beast's predation strategy has long been a matter of contention, with some arguing that it leapt at prey with fangs bared; others that it used its sabres like ice-picks to climb on top of other animals; and some who argued that it would inflict grievous injuries by slashing out with its canines.
clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk