Smilodon

Smilodon is an extinct genus o machairodont felid. It is aiblins ane o the maist famous prehistoric mammals, an the best kent saber-tuithed cat. Awtho commonly kent as the saber-tuithed teeger, it wisna closely relatit tae the teeger or ither modren cats. The genus wis named in 1842, based on fossils frae Brazil. Three species are recognised the day: S. gracilis, S. fatalis an S. populator. The twa latter species war probably descendit frae S. gracilis, which itsel probably evolved frae Megantereon. The lairgest collection o Smilodon fossils haes been obtained frae the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, Californie.

Smilodon
S. fatalis skelet at National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Cless:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Faimily:	Felidae
Subfaimily:	†Machairodontinae
Tribe:	†Smilodontini
Genus:	†Smilodon Lund, 1842
Species
S. populator Lund, 1842 (teep) S. fatalis Leidy, 1869 S. gracilis Cope, 1880
Synonyms
Genus synonymy Munifelis Muñis, 1845 Trucifelis Leidy, 1868 Smilodontopsis Brown, 1908 Prosmilodon Rusconi, 1929 Smilodontidion Kraglievich, 1948 Species synonymy S. populator: Munifelis bonaerensis Muñis, 1845 Smilodon blainvillii Desmarest, 1860 Machaerodus bonaerensis Burmeister, 1867 Machaerodus necator Gervais, 1878 Smilodon ensenadensis Ameghino, 1888 Machaerodus ensenadensis Ameghino, 1889 Smilodon crucians Ameghino, 1904 Smilodon bonaerensis Ameghino, 1907 Smilodon neogaeus ensenadensis Boule & Thévenin, 1920 Smilodon (Prosmilodon) ensenadensis Rusconi, 1929 Smilodon neogaeus de Paula Couto, 1940 Smilodon necator de Paula Couto, 1940 Smilodon (Prosmilodon) ensenadensis ferox Kraglievich, 1947 Smilodon (Prosmilodon) ensenadensis minor Kraglievich, 1948 Smilodontidion riggii Kraglievich, 1948 Machaerodus neogaeus Pictet, 1953 Felis smilodon Desmarest, 1953 Smilodon populator populator de Paula Couto, 1955 S. fatalis: Felis (Trucifelis) fatalis Leidy, 1868 Trucifelis fatalis Leidy, 1869 Machaerodus fatalis Lydekker, 1884 Drepanodon floridanus Leidy, 1889 Machaerodus floridanus Leidy, 1889 Uncia mercerii Cope, 1895 Smilodon floridanus Adams, 1896 Machaerodus (Smilodon) mercerii Cope, 1899 Smilodon californicus Bovard, 1907 Smilodontopsis troglodytes Brown, 1908 Smilodontopsis conardi Brown, 1908 Smilodontopsis mercerii Brown, 1908 Smilodon nebraskensis Matthew, 1918 Machaerodus mercerii Matthew, 1918 Smilodon (Trucifelis) californicus Merriam & Stock, 1932 Smilodon (Trucifelis) fatalis Merriam & Stock, 1932 Smilodon (Trucifelis) nebraskensis Merriam & Stock, 1932 Smilodon (Trucifelis) californicus brevipes Merriam & Stock, 1932 Smilodon trinitensis Slaughter, 1960 S. gracilis: Machaerodus (Smilodon) gracilis Cope, 1899 Smilodon (Smilodontopsis) gracilis Merriam & Stock, 1932 Megantereon gracilis Broom & Schepers 1946 Ischyrosmilus gracilis Churcher, 1984 Smilodontopsis gracilis Berta, 1995