Editing Smilodon (section)

{{short description|Extinct genus of saber-toothed cat}}
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{{Use American English|date = September 2019}}
{{featured article}}

{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = Early [[Pleistocene]] to Early [[Holocene]], {{Geological range|2.5|0.0082}}
| image = Smilodon populator fossil, Tellus Science Museum 1.jpg
| image_caption = Mounted ''S. populator'' skeleton at [[Tellus Science Museum]]
| taxon = Smilodon
| authority = [[Peter Wilhelm Lund|Lund]], 1842
| type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Smilodon populator'''''
| type_species_authority = [[Peter Wilhelm Lund|Lund]], 1842
| subdivision_ranks = Other species
| subdivision =
* {{extinct}}'''''S. fatalis''''' {{small|([[Joseph Leidy|Leidy]], 1869)}}
* {{extinct}}'''''S. gracilis''''' {{small|[[Edward Drinker Cope|Cope]], 1880}}
|synonyms =
{{collapsible list|bullets=true|title=Genus synonymy
|''Munifelis'' {{small|Muñis, 1845}}
|''Trucifelis'' {{small|Leidy, 1868}}
|''Smilodontopsis'' {{small|Brown, 1908}}
|''Prosmilodon'' {{small|Rusconi, 1929}}
|''Smilodontidion'' {{small|Kraglievich, 1948}}
}}
{{collapsible list|bullets=true|title=Species synonymy
|{{collapsible list|bullets=true|title=''S. populator'':
|''Munifelis bonaerensis'' {{small|Muñis, 1845}}
|''Smilodon blainvillii'' {{small|Desmarest, 1860}}
|''Machaerodus bonaerensis'' {{small|Burmeister, 1867}}
|''Machaerodus necator'' {{small|Gervais, 1878}}
|''Smilodon ensenadensis'' {{small|Ameghino, 1888}}
|''Machaerodus ensenadensis'' {{small|Ameghino, 1889}}
|''Smilodon crucians'' {{small|Ameghino, 1904}}
|''Smilodon bonaerensis'' {{small|Ameghino, 1907}}
|''Smilodon neogaeus ensenadensis'' {{small|Boule & Thévenin, 1920}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Prosmilodon'') ''ensenadensis'' {{small|Rusconi, 1929}}
|''Smilodon neogaeus'' {{small|de Paula Couto, 1940}}
|''Smilodon necator'' {{small|de Paula Couto, 1940}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Prosmilodon'') ''ensenadensis ferox'' {{small|Kraglievich, 1947}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Prosmilodon'') ''ensenadensis minor'' {{small|Kraglievich, 1948}}
|''Smilodontidion riggii'' {{small|Kraglievich, 1948}}
|''Machaerodus neogaeus'' {{small|Pictet, 1953}}
|''Felis smilodon'' {{small|Desmarest, 1953}}
|''Smilodon populator populator'' {{small|de Paula Couto, 1955}}
}}
|{{collapsible list|bullets=true|title=''S. fatalis'':
|''Felis'' (''Trucifelis'') ''fatalis'' {{small|Leidy, 1868}}
|''Trucifelis fatalis'' {{small|Leidy, 1869}}
|''Machaerodus fatalis'' {{small|Lydekker, 1884}}
|''Drepanodon floridanus'' {{small|Leidy, 1889}}
|''Machaerodus floridanus'' {{small|Leidy, 1889}}
|''Uncia mercerii'' {{small|Cope, 1895}}
|''Smilodon floridanus'' {{small|Adams, 1896}}
|''Machaerodus'' (''Smilodon'') ''mercerii'' {{small|Cope, 1899}}
|''Smilodon californicus'' {{small|Bovard, 1907}}
|''Smilodontopsis troglodytes'' {{small|Brown, 1908}}
|''Smilodontopsis conardi'' {{small|Brown, 1908}}
|''Smilodontopsis mercerii'' {{small|Brown, 1908}}
|''Smilodon nebraskensis'' {{small|Matthew, 1918}}
|''Machaerodus mercerii'' {{small|Matthew, 1918}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Trucifelis'') ''californicus'' {{small|Merriam & Stock, 1932}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Trucifelis'') ''fatalis'' {{small|Merriam & Stock, 1932}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Trucifelis'') ''nebraskensis'' {{small|Merriam & Stock, 1932}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Trucifelis'') ''californicus brevipes'' {{small|Merriam & Stock, 1932}}
|''Smilodon trinitensis'' {{small|Slaughter, 1960}}
}}
|{{collapsible list|bullets=true|title=''S. gracilis'':
|''Machaerodus'' (''Smilodon'') ''gracilis'' {{small|Cope, 1899}}
|''Smilodon'' (''Smilodontopsis'') ''gracilis'' {{small|Merriam & Stock, 1932}}
|''Megantereon gracilis'' {{small|Broom & Schepers 1946}}
|''Ischyrosmilus gracilis'' {{small|Churcher, 1984}}
|''Smilodontopsis gracilis'' {{small|Berta, 1995}}
}}
}}
}}

'''''Smilodon''''' is an extinct [[genus]] of [[Felidae|felids]]. It is one of the best known [[saber-toothed predator]]s and prehistoric mammals. Although commonly known as the '''saber-toothed tiger''', it was not closely related to the [[tiger]] or other modern cats, belonging to the extinct subfamily [[Machairodontinae]], with an estimated date of [[Speciation|divergence]] from the ancestor of living cats around 20 million years ago. ''Smilodon'' was one of the last surviving machairodonts alongside ''[[Homotherium]]''. ''Smilodon'' lived in the [[Americas]] during the [[Pleistocene]] to early [[Holocene]] epoch (2.5 [[Year#mya|mya]] – at latest 8,200 years ago). The genus was named in 1842 based on [[fossil]]s from Brazil; the generic name means {{Gloss|scalpel}} or {{Gloss|two-edged knife}} combined with {{Gloss|tooth}}. Three [[species]] are recognized today: '''''S. gracilis''''', '''''S. fatalis''''', and '''''S. populator'''''. The two latter species were probably descended from ''S. gracilis'', which itself probably evolved from ''[[Megantereon]]''. The hundreds of specimens obtained from the [[La Brea Tar Pits]] in [[Los Angeles]] constitute the largest collection of ''Smilodon'' fossils.

Overall, ''Smilodon'' was more robustly built than any [[Neontology|extant]] cat, with particularly well-developed forelimbs and exceptionally long upper [[canine teeth]]. Its jaw had a bigger gape than that of modern cats, and its upper canines were slender and fragile, being adapted for precision killing. ''S. gracilis'' was the smallest species at {{cvt|55|to|100|kg}} in weight. ''S. fatalis'' had a weight of {{cvt|160|to|280|kg}} and height of {{cvt|100|cm}}. Both of these species are mainly known from [[North America]], but remains from [[South America]] have also been attributed to them (primarily from the northwest of the continent). ''S.&nbsp;populator'' from South America was the largest species, at {{cvt|220|to|436|kg}} in weight and {{cvt|120|cm}} in height, and was among the largest known felids. The [[Coat (animal)|coat]] pattern of ''Smilodon'' is unknown, but it has been [[paleoart|artistically restored]] with plain or spotted patterns.

In North America, ''Smilodon'' [[predation|hunted]] large [[herbivore]]s such as [[Bison antiquus|bison]] and [[Camelops|camels]], and it remained successful even when encountering new prey [[taxa]] in South America such as ''[[Macrauchenia]]'' and [[Ground sloth|ground sloths]]. ''Smilodon'' is thought to have killed its prey by holding it still with its forelimbs and biting it, but it is unclear in what manner the bite itself was delivered. Scientists debate whether ''Smilodon'' had a social or a solitary lifestyle; analysis of modern predator behavior as well as of ''Smilodon''{{'}}s fossil remains could be construed to lend support to either view. ''Smilodon'' probably lived in closed habitats such as forests and [[Shrubland|bush]], which would have provided cover for ambushing prey. ''Smilodon'' died out as part of the [[Late Pleistocene extinctions|end-Pleistocene extinction event]] which occurred around 13-9,000 years ago, along with most other large animals across the Americas. Its reliance on large animals has been proposed as the cause of its extinction. ''Smilodon'' may have been impacted by habitat turnover and loss of prey it specialized on due to possible climatic impacts, the effects of [[Paleo-Indians|recently arrived humans]] on prey populations, and other factors.