Machaeroides
Name:
Machaeroides.
Phonetic: Mak-air-oy-deez.
Named By: William Diller Matthew - 1909.
Classification: Chordata, Mammalia, Creodonta.
Species: M. eothen (type),
M. simpsoni.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Details unavailable.
Known locations: USA.
Time period: Ypresian to early Lutetian of the
Eocene.
Fossil representation: Remains of a few individuals.
Out
of all the creodonts Machaeroides is one of the
most unique since it
possess enlarged canine teeth similar to the sabre teeth that are
commonly associated with the sabre-toothed cats of the
Pliocene/Pleistocene eras. The presence of Machaeroides
in North
America is a clear indication that the creodonts were adapting to
fulfil various different niches. So far Machaeroides
fossils are only
known from the earlier stages of the Eocene, and disappear before the
appearance of the nimravids, another group of mammals noted for
having sabre-teeth.
As
a predator, Machaeroides probably relied upon
ambush tactics to hunt
and kill prey. The landscapes of the early Eocene were covered by
scrub and forest, meaning that there were endless opportunities for
setting up ambush points. In addition to these landscapes,
Machaeroides like other creodonts had
proportionately short legs with
plantigrade feet, and arrangement perfect for sudden bursts of
acceleration, but features that also limited top speed. There has
been some debate however over how Machaeroides was
related to other
creodonts with the genus usually being attributed either to
Hyaenodontidae or Oxyaenidae.
Because
of the ‘sabre-teeth’ and the similarity in name, caution should
be used not to confuse the creodont Machaeroides
with the actual
sabre-toothed cat Machairodus.
Further reading
The Carnivora and Insectivora of the Bridger Basin, middle Eocene.
Memoirs of the AMNH ; v. 9, pt. 6, Matthew, William
Diller.
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