Barbourofelis
| Barbourofelis | |
|---|---|
| B. loveorum, Florida Museum of Natural History Fossil Hall at the University of Florida | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | †Nimravidae |
| Tribe: | †Barbourofelini |
| Genus: | †Barbourofelis Schultz, Schultz & Martin, 1970 |
| Type species | |
| †Barbourofelis fricki Schultz, Schultz & Martin, 1970
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| Other Species | |
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Barbourofelis is an extinct genus of large feliform, from the subfamily Barbourofelinae, which is part of the family of false-sabertooth cats known as Nimravidae. Barbourofelis, along with Albanosmilus, were the last known nimravids. Barbourofelis lived in North America and Eurasia during the Miocene epoch from 12 to 7 Ma.
Five species are currently recognized within the genus: B. fricki, B. loveorum, B. morrisi, B. oregonensis, and B. piveteaui. B. morrisi likely evolved from Albanosmilus migrating into North America. With B. piveteaui evolving from reverse migration from North America into Eurasia. B. loveorum possibly evolved from B. morrisi, and may have evolved into B. fricki.
B. morrisi and B. piveteaui were the smallest species being about as large as a leopard. B. loveorum was the larger than B. morrisi and may have weighed anywhere from 70–128 kg (154–282 lb). B. fricki was the most recent and largest species of the genus, as well as the largest nimravid. Suggested to have been as large as lions, weighing around 328 kg (723 lb), although a later study suggested it was significantly smaller weighing 256 kg (564 lb). B. oregonensis was described to being similar in size and morphology to B. fricki. It's believed that Barbourofelis was an ambulatory, ambush predator that hunted within closed forested environments.