Nimravus

Lower jaw of Nimravus brachyops at the Museum of Paleontology of the University of California.

• North America
• Europe

Nimravus is an extinct genus of large about leopard, feline predators, which was common in the early and middle Oligocene in North America and Europe. She is the namesake genus within the family of Nimravidae. Unlike other Nimravids as Eusmilus the upper canines were less enlarged and faced a similar relative magnitude as in modern big cats.

A number of well-preserved skull of the type species Nimravus brachyops was found in the U.S. states of Oregon, Nebraska and South Dakota. The skull is very cat-like and probably today's cats, the representatives of the genus came much closer than some of their direct ancestors in their appearance. Other features of the skull such as the expression of the teeth and the ear region but clearly show the typical features of Nimravids. Little is known about the postcranial skeleton. However, it seems that leg and foot bones were much slimmer than the other Nimravids the Oligocene.

Species

• Nimravus brachyops ( Cope, 1878) - North America
• Nimravus sectator Matthew, 1907 - North America
• Nimravus intermedius ( Filhol, 1872 ) - Europe