Machairodus is a large, sabertoothed
cat that lived in
Europe,
Asia,
Africa and
North America approximately 13-2 million years ago. It is an ancestor of
Smilodon, more commonly known as the
sabertooth cat or
sabertooth tiger.
Machairodus was itself descended from
Proailurus. Its existence coincides in part with that of
Dinofelis, which lived 5-1.5 million years ago.