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Rhizosmilodon

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Rhizosmilodon
Temporal range: Early Pliocene
Fossil specimens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Machairodontinae
Tribe: Smilodontini
Genus: Rhizosmilodon
Wallace & Hulbert, 2013
Species
  • Rhizosmilodon fiteae Wallace & Hulbert, 2013

Rhizosmilodon is an extinct genus of saber-tooth cat of the subfamily Machairodontinae that lived during the Early Pliocene and was discovered in the U.S. state of Florida.[1] Comparable in size to a medium-sized modern jaguar at about 165 lb. in weight, Rhizosmilodon is known only from Florida (though it likely inhabited other areas of North America). The best specimens for this species are its lower jaw and teeth, which carry intermediate characteristics between advanced forms such as Smilodon and primitive forms such as Paramachairodus. It was likely an ambush predator, preying on animals such as deer, tapirs and horses.[2]

Phylogeny

Phylogenetic relationships of Rhizosmilodon with other Machairodonts based on analysis of 37 cranio-mandibular characters.[1]

 

Proailurus lemanensis

Machairodontinae

Promegantereon ogygia

Paramachaerodus

Paramachaerodus orientalis

Paramachaerodus maximiliani

Smilodontini

Rhizosmilodon fiteae

Smilodon

Smilodon gracilis

Smilodon fatalis

Smilodon populator

Megantereon

Megantereon cultridens

Megantereon hesperus

Machairodontini
Machairodus

Machairodus aphanistus

Machairodus coloradensis

Homotherium serum

(=Homotherini)

References

  1. ^ a b Wallace, S. C.; Hulbert, R. C. (2013). Larson, Greger (ed.). "A New Machairodont from the Palmetto Fauna (Early Pliocene) of Florida, with Comments on the Origin of the Smilodontini (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae)". PLoS ONE. 8 (3): e56173. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056173. PMC 3596359. PMID 23516394.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  2. ^ https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/florida-vertebrate-fossils/species/rhizosmilodon-fiteae