In Depth Although not as famous as Smilodon, Xenosmilus was nonetheless an exceptionally powerful Pleistocene era big cat that is estimated to have weighed between 230-400 kg. This estimate puts Xenosmilus within the same weight class as the largest species of Smilodon, and even though it was smaller, Xenosmilus would have been proportionately stronger for … Read more
In Depth Paramachairodus is a genus of sabre-toothed cat that lived during the Miocene/Pliocene. The Paramachairodus genus represents one of the first true sabre-toothed cats to appear. Further Reading - Aspects of the functional morphology in the cranial and cervical skeleton of the sabre-toothed cat Paramachairodus ogygia (Kaup, 1832) (Felidae, Machairodontinae) from the Late Miocene … Read more
In Depth
In Depth While Machairodus possesses enlarged canine fangs they seem to be intermediate between regular sized canines and the larger canines exhibited by other similar cats. These teeth combined with squat proportions and a robust physique has led to speculation that Machairodus’s hunting behaviour was that of an ambush predator. The popular depiction of Machairodus … Read more
In Depth Like its close cousin the American lion (Panthera atrox) the Eurasian cave lion currently has a disputed position amongst other members of the Panthera genus. Once considered a specific species in its own right the Eurasian cave lion was eventually more widely treated as a sub species of the African lion (Panthera leo). However, … Read more
In Depth Whenever you hear someone mention a ‘Sabre Toothed Tiger’, what they are really talking about, whether they realise it themselves or not, is Smilodon. This is because Smilodon does not belong to the same cat family as Tigers, which belong to the Pantherinae group. As a member of the Machairodontinae, a more acceptable … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – The Cheetah: Native American. – Science 14 September 1979: Vol. 205 no. 4411 pp. 1155-1158. – Daniel B. Adams – 1979. – The Plio-Pleistocene cheetah-like cat Miracinonyx inexpectatus of North America – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 10(4):434-454. – Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Frederick Grady & Bj�rn Kurt�n – 1990. -Evolution of … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - Nachweis des Jaguars (Panthera onca gombaszoegensis) aus dem sp�ten Unter- oder fr�hen Mittelpleistoz�n der Niederlande. - Deinsea, Annual of the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. P. 47-57. - H. Hemmer & R.-D Kahlke - 2005. - New record of the European jaguar, Panthera onca gombaszoegensis (Kretzoi, 1938), from the Plio-Pleistocene of … Read more
In Depth One of the lesser known machairodonts, the placement of Adelphailurus within the machairodontinae has been questioned with speculation that it may be a false sabre-tooth. Adelphailurus also had a pair of second premolar teeth, a primitive feature that harks back to the early days of felid evolution. Although fossil remains of Adelphailurus are … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - Acinonyx pardinensis (Carnivora, Felidae) from the Early Pleistocene of Pantalla (Italy): predatory behavior and ecological role of the giant Plio-Pleistocene cheetah. - Quarternary Science Reviews 87 82-97 - Marco Cherin, Dawid Adam Iurino, Raffaele Sardella & Lorenzo Rool - 2014.