Fossils of sabre-tooth cat found in Nevada

Researchers say a pair of fossils unearthed in the hills north of Las Vegas belonged to a sabre-toothed cat.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that a team from California's San Bernardino County Museum identified the fossils dug up in June as being front leg bones from the extinct predator.

Kathleen Springer, the museum's senior curator, says the fossils are thought to be approximately 15,590 years old.

The discovery marks the first of its kind in the fossil-rich Upper Las Vegas Wash. Ms Springer heads a team that's been studying the wash for a decade.

AP