Nimravidae

Hoplophoneus primaevus in the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe.

• North America
• Europe
• Asia
• Africa

The Nimravidae family is an extinct line of feline predators. They originated in the Eocene, about 50 million years ago. Originally they were considered ancestors of cats ( Felidae ), but today they are regarded as their sister group. Accordingly, they developed their feline features by convergent evolution. Because some types of Nimravids possessed mighty saber teeth, are reminiscent of those of the saber-toothed cats ( Machairodontinae ), but the Nimravidae form their own family, they are known as glow saber-toothed cats. The Barbourofelidae were originally regarded as a sub- family of Nimravids, apply today but as an independent family.

Well-known genera of Nimravidae:

• Dinaelurus Eaton 1922
• Dinictis Leidy 1854
• Eusmilus Gervais 1876
• Hoplophoneus Cope 1874
• Nimravus Cope 1879
• Pogonodon Cope 1880