Metailurini

Metailurini Temporal range: Late Miocene–Middle Pleistocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Subfamily:	Felinae
Tribe:	Metailurini
Genera
Dinofelis Metailurus Adelphailurus Stenailurus Pontosmilus

Metailurini is an extinct tribe of large saber-toothed cats of the subfamily Felinae, that lived in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America during the Miocene to Pleistocene living from 11.610 mya—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately 11.599 million years.^[1]

Metailurini had canines longer than neofelids but smaller than true saber toothed cats. The teeth are more conical than flat as well. Traditionally placed within the Machairodontinae, they count as members of the subfamily Felinae today ^[2]. They existed from the Miocene to early Pleistocene, with most species being found in Eurasia. Members of this tribe were all scimitar-toothed (having broad and mildly elongated upper canines). Like most extinct cats, the majority of species in Metailurini are known primarily from fragments. However, the systematic position and taxonomy of these creatures is now accepted as being true members of Felidae and descended from Proailurus and Pseudaelurus.^[3]

The best known genera in this tribe are Dinofelis and Metailurus.

References

1. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Metailurini, basic info
2. ^ Lars W. van den Hoek Ostende, Michael Morlo, Doris Nagel: Fossils explained 52 Majestic killers: the sabre-toothed cats. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Geology Today, Vol. 22, No. 4, July–August 2006 online
3. ^ Wesley-Hunt, Gina D.; Flynn, John J. (2005). "Phylogeny of the Carnivora: basal relationships among the Carnivoramorphans, and assessment of the position of ‘Miacoidea’ relative to Carnivora". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 3: 1–28. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00194.x