Barbourofelis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barbourofelis |
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| B. loveorum at the Florida Museum of Natural History | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | †Barbourofelidae |
| Genus: | †Barbourofelis Schultz, Schultz & Martin, 1970 |
| Type species | |
| Barbourofelis fricki Schultz, Schultz & Martin, 1970
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| Species | |
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Barbourofelis was a type of extinct (meaning it no longer exists) genus of large, meat-eating mammals. These amazing creatures were a kind of saber-toothed cat.
They lived in North America a very long time ago, during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. This was about 13.6 to 5.3 million years ago. That's a huge span of time, around 8.3 million years!
What Made Them Special?
Barbourofelis had unique, flattened saber teeth. These long teeth were protected by a special bony part that stuck out from its lower jaw. Even though it looked like a saber-toothed cat, it wasn't a close relative of other famous saber-toothed cats like Smilodon.
How Scientists Classify Them
For a long time, scientists found it tricky to figure out exactly where Barbourofelis fit in the animal family tree. It was eventually placed in a group called Nimravidae. This group includes other ancient cat-like predators.
Images for kids
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An artist's drawing of what B. fricki might have looked like
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The skull of B. fricki
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See also
In Spanish: Barbourofelis para niños
