Paramachairodus
Encyclopedia
Paramachairodus is an extinct genus of saber-tooth cat of the subfamily Machairodontinae
endemic to Europe
and Asia
, during the late Miocene
from 15 to 9 Ma.
Paramachairodus is one of the oldest known true saber-toothed cat
s. A large number of fossil
s were discovered in Cerro Batallones, a Late Miocene fossil site near Madrid
, Spain
. Two leopard-sized species are known, Paramachairodus ogygia from Vallesian
to early Turolian
age and Paramachairodus orientalis from the Turolian. A third species Paramachairodus maximiliani, is considered a synonym of Paramachairodus orientalis by most authors .
The animal was about 58 cm high at the shoulder, similar to a leopard
, but with a more supple body. The shape of its limbs suggests that it may have been an agile climber, and could have hunted relatively large prey.
Machairodontinae
Machairodontinae is an extinct carnivoran mammal subfamily of Felidae endemic to Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe from the Miocene to Pleistocene living from c. 23 Ma until c...
endemic to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, during the late Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
from 15 to 9 Ma.
Paramachairodus is one of the oldest known true saber-toothed cat
Saber-toothed cat
Saber-toothed cat or Sabre-toothed cat refers to the extinct subfamilies of Machairodontinae , Barbourofelidae , and Nimravidae as well as two families related to marsupials that were found worldwide from the Eocene Epoch to the end of the Pleistocene Epoch ,...
s. A large number of fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s were discovered in Cerro Batallones, a Late Miocene fossil site near Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Two leopard-sized species are known, Paramachairodus ogygia from Vallesian
Vallesian
The Vallesian age is a period of geologic time within the Miocene used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Turolian age and follows the Astaracian age. The Turolian overlaps the Tortonian and Messinian ages....
to early Turolian
Turolian
The Turolian age is a period of geologic time within the Miocene used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. It precedes the Ruscinian age and follows the Vallesian age. The Turolian overlaps the Tortonian and Messinian ages....
age and Paramachairodus orientalis from the Turolian. A third species Paramachairodus maximiliani, is considered a synonym of Paramachairodus orientalis by most authors .
The animal was about 58 cm high at the shoulder, similar to a leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, but with a more supple body. The shape of its limbs suggests that it may have been an agile climber, and could have hunted relatively large prey.