Barbourofelis: All-Star Mother of the Miocene
This powerful predator was particularly parental.
Ah, motherhood. When I think of amazing mothers throughout the depths of time, in the long-gone epoch of prehistory, I think of Barbourofelis. Yes, that is correct. Barbourofelids were sabertoothed, catlike creatures that were, like nimravids, not exactly cats. To me, one beautifully unique thing about them is that they likely needed extended care and nurturing into adulthood, long after physically reaching their adult size, rather like humans.
Imagine, if you will, a tawny beast crouched in some long grass, watching a small group of four ungulates. Springtime has supercharged the grass. It is bright green and taller than she is. The animal’s shoulders are incredibly muscular, like a lioness but even beefier. From where she lurks in the grass, her camouflaged body does resemble a lioness. A closer look, however, reveals a thick jaw with a chin jutting down in a way that would look cartoonish on a modern cat. Her chin’s function is to provide a pair of flanges that provide a sheath for her enormous canine teeth. This creature’s massive fangs set her apart from all cats living today, and her hefty jaw flanges differentiate her from the true cat sabertooths that dominated her turf later, in the Pleistocene. When her mouth is closed, her teeth are as hidden as…
