Which extinct mammal genus includes the saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis? The answer is Smilodon.
Smilodon is a genus of extinct felids, or cat relatives, that lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene and early Holocene. Its best-known species include Smilodon fatalis in North America and Smilodon populator in South America. The name is often translated as “knife tooth,” referring to the animal’s unusually long, flattened upper canine teeth.
Despite the popular nickname “saber-toothed tiger,” Smilodon was not a tiger and was not especially close to modern tigers. It belonged to the extinct machairodontine cat group. Its robust forelimbs and wide gape were adapted for restraining large prey, while the fragile-looking canines were probably used in carefully targeted bites.
A common mix-up is confusing the genus with related saber-toothed cats. Machairodus, Megantereon, and Homotherium were separate genera. Fossils from the La Brea Tar Pits in California have made S. fatalis one of the most recognizable prehistoric mammals.