| Metailurus Temporal range: Miocene |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Subfamily: | Felinae |
| Tribe: | Metailurini |
| Genus: | Metailurus Zdansky (1924) |
| Species | |
|
Metailurus major |
|
| Range of Metailurus based on fossil record | |
Metailurus is a genus of false saber-toothed cat of the family Felidae, belonging to the tribe Metailurini endemic to North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia during the Miocene to Pleistocene, living from 9 Ma—11,000 years ago and existed for approximately 8.989 million years.[1]
Metailurus was named by Zdansky (1924). It was assigned to Felidae by Carroll (1988).
Metailurus is known as a "false sabertooth" cat because, instead of true saberteeth, it has a cross between long, flat and blade-like saberteeth and the shorter cone-shaped teeth of modern-day felines. The canines are longer than even the Clouded Leopard but significantly shorter than true saber teeth and more conical than bladed. Due to the fragmentary nature of Metailurus fossils, the number of species is subject to debate.[2]