Eusmilus is a genus of feliform from the extinct family "Nimravidae". It lived in Europe during the Late Eocene through the Early Oligocene epochs (37.2-28.4 MYA).
Appearance[]
Many species of Eusmilus had long bodies and were about as tall as a leopard, but the species E. adelos was around the same size as a small lion and was the largest hoplophonine nimravid. Eusmilus had long saber teeth and looked similar to a saber-tooth cat but was a "false saber-tooth cat". Most were the size of a leopard but rather long bodied and short legged compared to them. Some species of Eusmilus reached lengths of 2.5 m (8'2.43"). Eusmilus had lost many teeth, possessing only 26 instead of the 44 usually seen in carnivorans. Its mouth could open as wide as 90 degrees, allowing Eusmilus to use its saber teeth properly. Bony flanges protruded from the lower jaw of Eusmilus to protect its saber teeth (Similar to the unrelated extinct marsupial relative Thylacosmilus and the extinct felid Megantereon). There's also fossil evidence of conflicts between Eusmilus and Nimravus, another nimravid.
Growth and development[]
Eusmilus adolescents and cubs have also been discovered, and skeletal examinations of them indicate that their saber-teeth emerged in later stages of their life, suggesting that these animals were dependent on their mothers for a very long period of time. The milk teeth of Eusmilus, upon their eruption, were large enough to let it hunt very well. The advantage of these milk sabers was that because of the late growth of the permanent sabers, if the milk saber-teeth were damaged, the nimravid got a chance to grow a new set of saber-teeth, letting it continue to hunt.
Gallery[]
