Xenosmilus

Xenosmilus
X. hodsonae, Florida Museum of Natural History Fossil Hall at the University of Florida
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Subfamily:	Machairodontinae
Tribe:	Machairodontini
Genus:	Xenosmilus
Species
Xenosmilus hodsonae

Xenosmilus (from Greek, ξένος, xenos, "strange" + σμίλη, smilē, "chisel" ) is a genus of extinct Machairodontinae, or saber-toothed cat. Two fairly intact specimens were found by amateur fossil hunters, in 1983 (1981 by some sources) in the Haile limestone mines in Alachua County, Florida. In 1994 the fossils were examined, and it was decided that the cats were of an entirely new genus, which has been placed under the tribe Machairodontini. They lived about 1 million years ago, but as there are only two specimens of the same age, when they appeared and when they became extinct is unclear. Currently, there is only one species known, X. hodsonae.

Physically, the cat measured between 1.7-1.8 m long with a highly muscular body, even more muscular than any other cat alive or dead, and the animal probably weighed around 230-400 kg. Before their discovery, all known saber-toothed cats fell into two general categories. Dirk toothed cats had long upper canines and stout legs. Scimitar toothed cats had only mildly elongated canines, and long legs. Xenosmilus broke these groupings by possessing both stout muscular legs and body, and short broad upper canines.

Found alongside the two skeletons were dozens of peccary bones. It seems likely, with their muscular builds, that X. hodsonae preyed upon peccaries in life.

External links

• Prehistoric cats and prehistoric cat-like creatures
• Xenosmilus at the Northern Illinois University website