In order to study the adaptive significance of the nasal chamber in felids (Mammalia, Carnivora), we measured the nasal aperture area and used it as an indirect estimate of the nasal chamber volume. We assume that this measurement relates to the metabolic demands for oxygen by animals, which in turn would depend on their mass, hunting techniques and/or the environment inhabited. The proven relationship between nasal aperture area and body size among living felids was used to estimate the mass and different aspects of the paleobiology of nine extinct felids from the New and Old World, six of the subfamily Machairodontinae and three of the subfamily Felinae. Results obtained confirm that the North American lion and the Eurasian cave lion were both comparable in size, with a body about 25% heavier than in today's lions. The large nasal apertures of smilodontines suggest that, compared to extant felids with skulls of similar length, these ambushing saber-tooth cats had a more robust body and thus greater oxygen demands. In contrast, coursing homotherines had longer skulls, narrower palates and a more lightened body than other saber-tooth cats.

中文翻译：

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猫科动物的鼻孔面积和体重：生态生理学意义和古生物学推论

为了研究猫科动物（哺乳动物、食肉目）鼻腔的适应性意义，我们测量了鼻孔面积并将其用作鼻腔容积的间接估计。我们假设这种测量与动物对氧气的代谢需求有关，而这又取决于它们的质量、狩猎技术和/或居住环境。活猫科动物的鼻孔面积与体型之间已证实的关系被用来估计来自新世界和旧世界的九种已灭绝猫科动物的古生物学的质量和不同方面，其中六种属于 Machairodontinae 亚科，3 种属于 Felinae 亚科。获得的结果证实，北美狮和欧亚洞穴狮的体型相当，身体比今天的狮子重约 25%。剑齿虎的大鼻孔表明，与现存的头骨长度相似的猫科动物相比，这些伏击剑齿虎的身体更强壮，因此需要更多的氧气。相比之下，猎犬的头骨更长，上颚更窄，身体比其他剑齿猫更轻盈。