Dinofelis
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Dinofelis Temporal range: Pliocene–, 5–1.2 Ma |
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| Skull diagram of D. barlowi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Tribe: | †Metailurini |
| Genus: |
†Dinofelis Zdansky, 1924 |
| Species | |
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†Dinofelis aronoki |
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†Dinofelis aronoki
†Dinofelis barlowi
†Dinofelis cristata
†Dinofelis darti
†Dinofelis diastemata
†Dinofelis paleoonca
†Dinofelis petteri
†Dinofelis piveteaui
Dinofelis is a genus of extinct sabre-toothed cats belonging to the tribe Metailurini. They were widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America at least 5 million to about 1.2 million years ago (Early Pliocene to Early ). Fossils very similar to Dinofelis from Lothagam range back to the Late Miocene, some 8 million years ago.
In size they were between a modern leopard and a lion, most being about the size of a jaguar (70 cm tall and up to 120 kg), medium-sized but powerful cats that possessed two prominent sabre teeth. The front limbs were particularly robust compared to the modern cats (even the jaguar).
Two specimens were examined by Serge Legendre and Claudia Roth for body mass. The first specimen was estimated to have a weight of 31.4 kg (69 lb). The second was estimated to have a weight of 87.8 kg (190 lb).
The canine teeth of Dinofelis are longer and more flattened than those of modern cats but less so than those of true saber-tooths. Dinofelis and nimravids are generally referred to as "false saber-tooth" cats because of this. (However, Nimravids are not close relatives of Dinofelis.) While the lower canines are robust, the cheek teeth are not nearly as robust as those of the lion and other modern big cats.
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