Nimravus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Extinct (fossil)
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Nimravus is an extinct genus of mammal with a possible relation to felines.
Nimravids have been found in France and parts of North America from the early Oligocene to early Miocene. Some were 1.2 metres (4 ft) long. With its sleek body, it may have resembled the modern caracal, although it had a longer back and more dog-like feet with partially retractile claws. It competed with other false sabre-tooths such as Eusmilus. A Nimravus skull, found in North America, had been pierced in the forehead region, the hole exactly matching the dimensions of Eusrnilus sabre tooth; Nimravus survived as the wound showed signs of healing. It probably hunted birds and small mammals, ambushing them like modern cats, rather than chasing them down. Some specimens still have unclear classification, for example a species once identified as N. catacopis is closer to true cats and is now classified as Machairodus aphanistus (previously Machairodus catacopis).
 |
This prehistoric mammal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
