Research overview: Metailurus and the metailurine sabertooths

This overview surveys Metailurus, a medium-sized cat of the late Miocene and Pliocene that lends its name to the Metailurini, a tribe of machairodonts with only modestly developed sabre canines. Less specialized than the extreme dirk- and scimitar-toothed forms, metailurines occupy an ambiguous position between conical-toothed cats and full sabertooths, and their classification has been repeatedly debated, with some researchers questioning whether they belong within the Machairodontinae. The survey reviews the anatomy of Metailurus and its relatives, their likely generalist predatory habits, and their importance for understanding the gradient of canine elongation across cats. It highlights how these intermediate forms inform discussion of how, and how many times, the sabertooth condition evolved within Felidae.