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Smilodon (saber-toothed cat)
Taxonomy
Smilodon was named by Lund (1841) [also said to be 1842]. It is not extant. Its type is Smilodon populator.
It was assigned to Machairodontinae by Hay (1902), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Zurita et al. (2004); to Smilodontini by Kurten (1968), Berta and Galiano (1983), Kurtén and Werdelin (1990), Liu (2005), Slater and Van Valkenburgh (2008), Wallace and Hulbert (2013); and to Felidae by Lund (1841), Cope (1880), Salles et al. (2006), Eshelman et al. (2025).
It was assigned to Machairodontinae by Hay (1902), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Zurita et al. (2004); to Smilodontini by Kurten (1968), Berta and Galiano (1983), Kurtén and Werdelin (1990), Liu (2005), Slater and Van Valkenburgh (2008), Wallace and Hulbert (2013); and to Felidae by Lund (1841), Cope (1880), Salles et al. (2006), Eshelman et al. (2025).
Species
Species lacking formal opinion data
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1841 | Smilodon Lund |
| 1869 | Trucifelis Leidy |
| 1880 | Smilodon Cope p. 852 |
| 1902 | Smilodon Hay p. 780 |
| 1908 | Smilodontopsis Brown |
| 1948 | Smilodontidion Kraglievich p. 7 |
| 1968 | Smilodon Kurten p. 74 |
| 1980 | Smilodon Kurten and Anderson p. 186 |
| 1983 | Smilodon Berta and Galiano p. 896 |
| 1988 | Smilodontidion Carroll |
| 1990 | Smilodon Kurtén and Werdelin p. 158 |
| 2004 | Smilodon Zurita et al. |
| 2005 | Smilodon Liu p. 133 |
| 2006 | Smilodon Salles et al. p. 8 |
| 2008 | Smilodon Slater and Van Valkenburgh p. 407 |
| 2013 | Smilodon Wallace and Hulbert p. 3 |
| 2025 | Smilodon Eshelman et al. p. 143 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
G. †Smilodon Lund 1841 [saber-toothed cat]
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†Smilodon crucians Ameghino 1904
†Smilodon fatalis Leidy 1868
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Invalid names: Machaerodus floridanus Leidy 1889 [synonym], Smilodon californicus Bovard 1907 [synonym], Smilodon nebraskensis Matthew 1918 [synonym], Smilodon trinitiensis Slaughter 1960 [synonym], Smilodontopsis conardi Brown 1908 [synonym], Smilodontopsis troglodytes Brown 1908 [synonym]
†Smilodon riggii Kraglievich 1948
Invalid names: Smilodontidion Kraglievich 1948 [synonym], Smilodontopsis Brown 1908 [synonym], Trucifelis Leidy 1869 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
| part | N | mean | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right mandible, M1 height | 1 | 2.16 |
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| Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Nowak 1991, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Lillegraven 1979, Ji et al. 2002 | |||||
Collections (129 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blancan | USA (Florida) | Megantereon gracilis (19746 19749) Smilodon gracilis (19752) | |
| Blancan | USA (Nebraska) | Smilodon sp. (19960) | |
| Blancan | USA (Kansas) | Smilodon sp. (19942) | |
| Late/Upper Pliocene - Early/Lower Pleistocene | Venezuela (Monagas) | Smilodon sp., Smilodon gracilis (144977) | |
| Gelasian | USA (Florida) | Smilodon gracilis (19758 20384) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Argentina (Buenos Aires) | Smilodontidion riggii (71304) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Smilodon gracilis (98313) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Bolivia (Tarija ) | Smilodon populator (70673) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Bolivia | Smilodon neogaeus (142016) | |
| Pleistocene | Brazil (Ceara) | Smilodon populator (236300) Smilodon sp. (71301) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (New Mexico) | Smilodon fatalis (188670) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (California) | Smilodon californicus (237076) | |
| Pleistocene | Venezuela (Falcon) | Smilodon populator (63884) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (West Virginia) | Smilodon fatalis, Smilodon gracilis (123875) | |
| Pleistocene (interglacial) | Ecuador (Chimborazo) | Smilodon sp. (133644) | |
| Pleistocene | Brazil (Pernambuco) | Smilodon populator (230754) | |
| Pleistocene | Mexico (Jalisco) | Smilodon californicus (20285) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (Missouri) | Smilodon sp. (90752) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (Texas) | Smilodon sp. (207484) | |
| Pleistocene | Brazil (Paraiba) | Smilodon sp. (71298) | |
| Pleistocene | Brazil (Sergipe) | Smilodon populator (187597) | |
| Pleistocene - Holocene | Brazil (Sao Paulo) | Smilodon populator (147609) | |
| Pleistocene - Holocene | Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul) | Smilodon populator (92814) | |
| Calabrian | USA (Florida) | Smilodon gracilis (20400) | |
| Ensenadan | Bolivia | Smilodon sp. (71322) | |
| Ensenadan | Argentina (Buenos Aires) | Smilodon bonaerensis, Smilodon ensenadenis, Smilodontidion sp., Smilodontidion riggi (147999) Smilodon sp. (212780) | |
| Ensenadan | Argentina (Cordoba) | Smilodon populator (123831) | |
| Irvingtonian | Mexico (Aguascalientes) | Smilodon californicus (20283) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Kansas) | Smilodon sp. (20390) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (New Mexico) | Smilodon gracilis (20558) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Arkansas) | Smilodontopsis troglodytes (20290) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Nebraska) | Smilodon fatalis (20375) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (West Virginia) | Smilodon sp. (20286) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Florida) | Smilodon gracilis (20299 20334 20351 20385 20415) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (California) | Smilodon fatalis (20272 20454) Smilodon gracilis (20124 20126 20127 20128 20130) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (South Carolina) | Smilodon fatalis (79919) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Maryland) | Smilodon californicus (20302) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Pennsylvania) | Smilodon gracilis (20354) Smilodontopsis gracilis, Uncia mercerii (20479) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | USA (California) | Smilodon californicus (20639) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | Bolivia (Chuquisaca) | Smilodon populator (70704) | |
| Lujanian | Argentina (Buenos Aires) | Smilodon populator (71287 71303 198875) | |
| Lujanian | Uruguay | Smilodon fatalis (212458) Smilodon populator (71325 212684) Smilodon sp. (71274) | |
| Lujanian | Argentina (Chaco) | Smilodon populator (78577) | |
| Lujanian | Argentina (Entre Ríos) | Smilodon populator (203958) | |
| Lujanian | Peru (Piura) | Smilodon sp. (145500) | |
| Lujanian | Argentina (Corrientes) | Smilodon populator (71289) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (Oklahoma) | Smilodon fatalis (70136) | |
| Rancholabrean | Mexico (Sonora) | Smilodon fatalis (20495) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (Texas) | Smilodon sp. (225289) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (South Carolina) | Smilodon fatalis (79757) | |
| Rancholabrean | El Salvador | Smilodon sp. (209720) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Brazil (São Paulo) | Smilodon populator (67858) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Chile (Tierra del Fuego) | Smilodon sp. (153676) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Ecuador | Smilodon indet. (190069) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Ecuador (Santa Elena) | Smilodon neogaeus (185519) Smilodon sp. (133630) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial) | USA (Florida) | Smilodon fatalis (154722) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (West Virginia) | Smilodon fatalis, Smilodon gracilis (125085) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Bolivia (Tarija) | Smilodon sp. (142158) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (New Mexico) | Smilodon sp. (93246) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial) | USA (Florida) | Smilodon floridanus (20608 154771) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Texas) | Smilodon fatalis (230753) Smilodon sp. (85142) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Peru | Smilodon populator (212474) Smilodon sp. (71346) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Argentina (Santiago del Estero) | Smilodon populator (191153) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (California) | Smilodon sp. (155409) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (California) | Smilodon sp. (20611) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Brazil (Piaui) | Smilodon populator (71332 71334 71335) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Utah) | Smilodon floridanus (20641) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Tennessee) | Smilodon floridanus (63424 63427) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Indiana) | Smilodon floridanus (20600) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial) | Venezuela (Zulia) | Smilodon populator (63515) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | El Salvador | Smilodon sp. (190752) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Alabama) | Smilodon fatalis (20584) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial) | USA (Texas) | Smilodon fatalis (93103) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (South Carolina) | Smilodon fatalis (152904) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Smilodon floridanus (20638 74292 154805) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Peru (Piura) | Smilodon sp. (144976) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial) | Brazil (Bahia) | Smilodon populator (136498) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Mexico (Nuevo Leon) | Smilodon sp. (71345) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Argentina (Tucuman) | Smilodon sp. (216687) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Argentina | Smilodon sp. (213470) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Canada (Alberta) | Smilodon fatalis (232472) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) | Smilodon populator (59978 147598) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Idaho) | Smilodon californicus (20569) Smilodon fatalis (20612) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Mexico (Quintana Roo) | Smilodon fatalis (212361) Smilodon gracilis (212364) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Chile (Ultima Esperanza) | Smilodon populator (189977) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | USA (Utah) | Smilodon fatalis (93326) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Brazil (Rio Grande do Norte) | Smilodon populator (93235 148309) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Brazil (Sergipe) | Smilodon populator (147191) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | USA (Tennessee) | Smilodon floridanus (63429) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Brazil (Bahia) | Smilodon populator (71313 212449 212472) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Brazil (Minas Gerais) | Smilodon populator (212719) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene (glacial) | Brazil (Bahia) | Smilodon populator (136499) | |
| Holocene | Brazil (São Paulo) | Smilodon populator (148397) |