Machairodus

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Machairodus Fossil range: Middle Miocene to Late Pliocene
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Subfamily: †Machairodontinae Tribe: †Machairodontini Genus: †Machairodus Kaup, 1833
Species
†Machairodus africanus †Machairodus aphanistus †Machairodus giganteus †Machairodus oradensis †Machairodus colorandensis †Machairodus transvaalensis †Machairodus alberdiae †Machairodus copei †Machairodus laskarevi †Machairodus irtyschensis †Machairodus kabir †Machairodus kurteni †Machairodus fires †Machairodus ischimicus †Machairodus schlosseri †Machairodus palanderi †Machairodus palmidens †Machairodus inexpectatus †Machairodus giganteus †(Amphimachairodus giganteus)

Machairodus was a genus of large, machairodontine saber-toothed cats that lived in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America from approximately 13 million years ago to 2 million years ago. Species of Machairodus expressed great variation in size and proportions, with the largest being about the size of a lion. They all possessed serrated edges on their large canine teeth, though these wore down within a few years of the creature's life.^[1]

It is the likely ancestor of the genus Homotherium. Machairodus was itself descended from Proailurus, as were all true cats.

[edit] References

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