Machaeroides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Machaeroides |
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| Machaeroides eothen skull | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Creodonta |
| Family: | †Oxyaenidae |
| Subfamily: | †Machaeroidinae |
| Genus: | †Machaeroides Matthew, 1909 |
| Type species | |
| Machaeroides eothen Matthew, 1909
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Machaeroides (say "Mack-uh-ROY-deez") means "dagger-like". It was a type of ancient mammal called a creodont. These animals lived during the Eocene period, about 56 to 34 million years ago. Scientists found its fossils in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Machaeroides is special because it's the earliest known mammal with sabre-like teeth.
Machaeroides: The First Sabre-Tooth
Machaeroides looked a lot like a small saber-toothed cat. It was about the size of a dog. But there were some key differences. Its skull was longer than a modern cat's. Also, it walked plantigrade. This means it walked with its whole foot flat on the ground, like a bear or a human. Modern cats and dogs walk on their toes.
How It Hunted
The long, sharp teeth of Machaeroides were perfect for hunting. Scientists believe its hunting style was very effective. Even though it was a smaller animal, its method of killing prey worked well. This shows that having sabre-like teeth wasn't just for big, powerful hunters. Smaller animals could use them successfully too.
