Barbourofelis
genus of mammals in the order Carnivora (fossil)
Barbourofelis is an extinct genus of large, carnivorous, mammals. They were a type of saber-toothed cat.
| Barbourofelis Temporal range: Late Miocene-Pliocene
| |
|---|---|
| |
| B. loveorum , Florida Museum of Natural History Fossil Hall at the University of Florida | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | †Barbourofelidae |
| Genus: | †Barbourofelis Schultz, Schultz & Martin, 1970 |
| Type species | |
| Barbourofelis fricki Schultz, Schultz & Martin, 1970
| |
| Species | |
| |
The genus was found in North America during the Miocene to Pleistocene. They lived from 13.6 – 5.3 million years ago (mya), which is about 8.3 million years.[1]
Its flattened saber teeth were protected by a bony flange from the lower jaw. It was a saber-toothed cat, but it was not a close relative of cats such as Smilodon.[2]
Barbourofelis has been difficult to classify. It was put in the Nimravidae by Schultz (1970) and Martin (1998).
References
change- ↑ "Paleobiology Database (Barbourofelidae)". Retrieved 19 Oct 2012.
- ↑ Antón, Mauricio 2013. Sabertooth. Bloomington, Indiana: University of Indiana Press. p. 104. ISBN 9780253010421
