Nimravidae - WikiHQ

Nimravidae is an extinct family of carnivorans, sometimes known as false saber-toothed cats, whose fossils are found in North America, Africa, and Eurasia. Nimravids were the first lineage of carnivorans to evolve large body sizes and specialized into hunting large bodied prey. Since 2020, the majority of experts consider barbourofelines as nimravids again. Nimravids first appeared in the Middle Eocene in Asia, with Maofelis being the most plesiomorphic taxa. with the type genus as Nimravus. The family was assigned to Fissipedia by Cope (1889); to Caniformia by Flynn and Galiano (1982); to Aeluroidea by Carroll (1988); to Feliformia by Bryant (1991); and to Carnivoramorpha, by Wesley-Hunt and Werdelin (2005).

Nimravids are placed in tribes by some authors to reflect closer relationships between genera within the family. Some nimravids evolved into large, toothed, cat-like forms with massive flattened upper canines and accompanying mandibular flanges. Some had dentition similar to felids, or modern cats, with smaller canines. Others had moderately increased canines in a more intermediate relationship between the saber-toothed cats and felids. The upper canines were not only shorter, but also more conical, than those of the true saber-toothed cats (Machairodontinae). These nimravids are referred to as "false saber-tooths". The barbourofelids were for a while no longer included in Nimravidae, following elevation to family as sister clade to the true cats (family Felidae). However, majority of recent studies have returned them to Nimravidae, with one study suggesting they are part of Nimravinae.' while some, such as Albanosmilus jourdani and E. adelos, were the size jaguars to small lions. The largest nimravids, Quercylurus and Barbourofelis fricki, were able to reach even larger sizes, weighing and respectively.

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