Eusmilus

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Eusmilus
Fossil range: Late Oligocene

Eusmilus

Fossil

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Nimravidae
Genus:	Eusmilus Gervais, 1876
Species:	E. cerebralis

Eusmilus ('well-knifed') is a prehistoric mammal, belonging to the the nimravids, a now-extinct group of the 'cat-like' carnivores. It was a dirk-toothed cat-like animal found in France and parts of North America during the late Oligocene (30.5-28.5 million years ago).

Eusmilus had a long body and was about as tall as a leopard. It had developed long saber teeth and looked like a saber-toothed cat, but was actually a so-called 'false saber-tooth'. Most were leopard-sized and rather long-bodied and short-legged compared to modern leopards. Some reached 2.5 metres (8 ft) long. Eusmilus had lost many other teeth, possessing only 26 instead of the 44 usually seen in carnivore mammals. Its mouth could open to an angle of 90 degrees, allowing the creature to properly use its saber teeth. Bony flanges projected from Eusmilus ' lower jaw to protect the sabers (this is also seen in the unrelated marsupial Thylacosmilus and felid Megantereon). There is fossil evidence of conflict between Eusmilus and Nimravus, another genus of nimravid.

[edit] Paraworld

The Eusmilus is also mentioned in "Paraworld", a game in which you fight alongside dinosaurs. The eusmilus is for a warrior called the "Eusmilus Rider", a fighter unit that can attack the enemy and wild creatures.