Saber-toothed tigers ate prehistoric horses, scientists believe. The diet of ancient predators, which occupied the top place in the food chain, it is always difficult to determine.

However, exceptional ancient place near Madrid, have allowed scientists clues as to what it eats these ancient carnivores. Scientists studied two types of saber-toothed cats, one of which was the size of a modern leopard, the other dimensions of modern tigers.

Scientists have calculated, what creatures lived in the region of 9 million years ago in the teeth of animals. They then compared the carbon isotopes of these predators and herbivorous animals, which allowed them to make the calculation that these animals ate.

Dr. Soledad-Domingo of the University of Michigan said that saber-toothed cats ate ancient horses. To come to such conclusions, the researchers conducted a so-called stable analysis of carbon isotopes in the teeth of animals. Using the drill dentist with diamond grit, they've made a selection of teeth from 69 samples, including 27 saber-toothed cats.

Using a mass spectrometer they measured the ratio of heavier molecules of carbon-13 to less massive carbon-12. These hydrocarbons are currently in carbon dioxide, which plants absorb in the process of photosynthesis.

Different plants use isotopes in different ways, and so they maintain their number in the fibers. When herbivorous animal eats a plant, an isotope remain in the animal bones and teeth. This information goes through the whole food chain and can be found in carnivores.