Saber-toothed predator
The term saber-toothed cat describes numerous cat-like species of the that lived during various parts of the Cenozoic that evolved their saber-toothed characteristics entirely independently. The saber-tooth morphology is an excellent example of convergent evolution as it appeared in several evolutionary lineages independently.
Saber-toothed Genera
The genera of sabre-toothed cats, along with the regions and time periods where they have been found, is summarized here:
| Genus Name | Number of Species | Times | Regions |
| Smilodon | 4 | 2.5 MYA to 11,000 YA | North America |
| Hoplophoneus | 5 | 33.7 MYA to 23.8 MYA | North and South America |
| Homotherium | 1 | 3 MYA to 10,000 YA | Europe and Asia |
| Thylacosmilids (marsupial) | 1 | 10 MYA to 1.8 MYA | South America |
| Metailurus | 1 | 15 MYA to 8 MYA | China and Eastern Europe |
| Machairodus (Ancestral to Homotherium) | 5 | 15 MYA to 2 MYA | Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America |
| Megantereon | 2 | 3 MYA - 9,000 Years Ago | Africa, Eurasia, and North America |
| Dinofelis | 5 | 5 MYA to 1.5 MYA | Africa, Eurasia, and North America |
| Paramachairodus | 2 | 20-15 MYA to 9 MYA | Spain |
| Xenosmilus (1 specimin) | 1 | 1 MYA (?) | Central Florida |
What Huge Teeth You Have
The most dramatic feature common to all of the so-called saber-toothed cats is their enlarged upper canines. While it is generally agreed upon that they were used in hunting, the exact way they were used has been debated since the 1880's when Smilodon was first described.
Grabbing Teeth
Some paleontologists believe that the primary purpose is to grab and hold large prey. This is not well supported by evidence, however, as it has been shown that saber-teeth used in this way may be broken relatively easily, and fossil skulls with broken saber-teeth are rare.
Slashing Teeth
A more accepted hypothesis suggests that saber-teeth were used for a shearing bite to the throat or abdomen of large prey (Akersten, 1985), or to deliver deep stab wounds, from which the prey would eventually bleed to death.
Display Teeth
Another possible use was as a social display structure (like most horns and antlers). If this is the case, it would support the theory that sabertooths were social animals.