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It's common knowledge that Smilodon has been mistakenly called the "saber-toothed tiger", yet it and other machairodontines were not closely related to the tiger or other members of the felid subfamily Pantherinae. However, Smilodon was the not the first saber-toothed cat to be bestowed the epithet "saber-toothed tiger". In a poem about Pleistocene mammals found in England, British poet Thomas Miller refers to the European machairodontine Homotherium latidens as a "saber-toothed tiger", in which case people in Europe and America had yet to literally use the term "saber-tooth tiger" for the Smilodon. Link: https://incertaesedisblog.wordpress.com/2022/06/28/the-origin-of-sabre-toothed-tiger/

Here is a parody of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” that points out my fossil and rock collecting philosophy. Roads are good to take you to the areas that few people search, especially the creek beds. Remember, I like to leave no stone unturned. I challenge all TFF members (especially @snolly50) to send in your paleontology related original poems. Consider your own version of Frost's poem. The Roads Not Taken by John, AKA DPS Ammonite Two roads diverged in a rocky wood, And not sorry to travel either one And being an adventurer, long I stood And looked up the nearby creek bed as far as I could To see the rocks glistening in the sun. I took the downstream side, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better rocks Because it was fossil rich and wanted wear; Paleozoic creatures preserved there stood out in massive limestone blocks. The up and downstream sides equally lay In rocks no one had collected. Oh, I kept the upstream side for another day, Knowing fossils that occurred that way, should not be left uninspected. I shall be telling this with never a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the creek bed nearby, And that has made all the difference.

Why do I love sharkteeth? Let me count the ways. To get to the jist of my list, could take me several days. I love to find them in water, even better on dry land. But my favorite place to find them, is nestled in my hand. I love all types of sharkteeth. No matter how big or small. I really, really love them. I love them one and all. The moral of my story, I hope you all can see, I really love sharkteeth whether Megs or Winkleri.