Barbourofelis

Extinct genus of carnivores

Barbourofelis is an extinct genus of large, predatory, feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Barbourofelidae (false saber tooth cats). The genus was endemic to North America and Eurasia during the Miocene until its extinction during the Tortonian, living from 13.6 to 4.9 Ma.

Barbourofelis was named by Bertrand Schultz, Marian Schultz, and Larry Martin in 1970 in honor of Erwin Hinckley Barbour, who died a few days before the holotype was discovered. Its type is Barbourofelis fricki and is the type genus of the subfamily Barbourofelinae.

While the species B. fricki is thought to have been a lion sized predator, having a weight comparable to an African lion, with limb bones indicating a muscular, robust body, other species in the genus, such as B. morrisi, are believed to have been closer to the size of leopards. Species in this genus had the longest canines of all the barbourofelids, which were also flattened, indicating a high degree of specialization to its diet. These canines had a longitudinal groove on the lateral surface that has been described as a means of allowing blood from a wound they have inflicted to flow away. This groove more likely was an adaptation to make the canines lighter while maintaining their strength. Other notable traits include the presence of a postorbital bar, the presence of a ventrally extended mental process (bony extensions on either side of the lower jaw), and the shortening of the skull behind the orbits. It had a very robust constitution, with B. morrisi intermediate between the size of Sansanosmilus and B. fricki, which is thought to have been a particularly large predator and the largest of all barbourofelids. Large individuals of B. fricki have been reconstructed with shoulder heights of around The barbourofelids were probably very stocky in build, resembling a bear like lion or lion like bear. Based on its foot structure, species of Barbourofelis might have had a semi plantigrade walking stance. Barbourofelis also had large carnassial teeth, meant for efficiently processing a carcass, indicating it lived in a highly competitive ecosystem or that it was social and would feed in a competitive, frenzied manner in order to eat as much as other members of its family group. Perhaps a combination of both scenarios was possible. The most extensive selections of bones found for this genus come from B. loveorum and have allowed further inference to the proportions of other members of the genus.