Homotherium sabretooth cat in the Arctic, illustration. This extinct prehistoric mammal lived from 4 million to 12,000 years ago, from the Early Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene. It was a powerful predator, reaching a shoulder height of around 1.1 metres. Its fossils have been found in the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa. This illustration shows the hypothesis that the animal could have evolved a white coat as an adaptation to hunt in the snow.