Authentic or not : still interesting Mega Sabertooth

"Authentic or not : still interesting Mega Sabertooth"

~the Saber Panther


I have recently come across in internet, this image of a giant skull, measuring around 460 mm in total length(GSL), of allegedly (Amphi)Machairodus giganteus, one of the largest sabertoothed cats known. The measuring tape though, seems to be not completely straight.

(https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/6e/86/445f64218ebeabf9f8a7f285a04275b1.jpg)


The problem is, this is a privately owned skull in China where fake fossils are considered to be pervasive not only in private collections but also to some extent, in state-owned museums as well.
(according to this source : content.time.com/time/world/ar…)

Unfortunately I don't have any source to back up its authenticity, and so it's difficult to know how legitimate and real the skull is. 

However, as can be seen in the link below, there are still plenty of valuable and legitimate privately owned fossils in that vast country, and this could be indeed one of such authentic ones.

If anything, the dimension of the skull alone is probably worthy of our attention.

When it comes to breaking the skull length barrier of 400 mm, (Amphi)Machairodus horribilis must not be an exception among sabertoothed cats. There seems to be more other 400 mm class giant skulls of (Amphi)Machairodus that are not being mentioned in academic literature, circulating among serious fossil collectors.
(according to this source : fossilcollector.wordpress.com/…)

Probably it is really the case that some species of (Amphi)Machairodus were indeed the largest of machairodontines, at least so 'body frame' wise.

But how about their body mass?

I suck at math but, (Amphi)Machairodus horribilis with the 415 mm long skull was once estimated by Dr. Deng Tao to have reached around 405 kgs in body mass(based on the condylobasal length of 370 mm), then how huge the owner of that skull could have been?

Species of the genus (Amphi)Machairodus were much less specialized 'cursors' than their descendants Homotherhium, still retaining typical machairodontine adaptations to slashing bite killing modes. Although they were more similar to modern pantherines than they were to Smilodon in many respects, still had very powerfull body build ideal for subduing prey.

Any machairodontine sabertoothed cat with a skull that big, rivaling large American lions or interstadial cave lions in this regard, must be one of the largest cats in history.   

Sorry for very random topic, but interesting nonetheless.