# 劍齒虎亞科[编辑]

| 劍齒虎亞科 化石时期：
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| 位于美國國立自然歷史博物館的加州斯剑虎化石骨架
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| 科学分类  |
| 界： | 动物界 Animalia |
| 门： | 脊索动物门 Chordata |
| 纲： | 哺乳纲 Mammalia |
| 目： | 食肉目 Carnivora |
| 科： | 猫科 Felidae |
| 演化级： | 假貓級 Pseudaelurus |
| 亚科： | **†剑齿虎亚科 Machairodontinae** Gill，1872 |
| 族
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| * †剑齿虎族 Machairodontini
* †后猫族 Metailurini
* †刃齿虎族 Smilodontini
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**劍齒虎亞科**（Machairodontinae）是貓科下的一個亞科。牠包括了已滅絕的劍齒虎及一些犬齒只有些微增長的貓科。曾广泛分布于欧洲、亚洲、非洲、南美洲和北美洲的中中新世-晚更新世地层中。

## 演化

### 进化历史与成因

剑齿虎亚科与原小熊猫属、假猫属以及拥有锥形牙齿的现代猫科的系统发生学。

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| **FELIDAE** |

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†原小熊猫属 *Proailurus* 2500万年前；欧洲，亚洲；只有一种;；重9公斤

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†假猫属 *Pseudaelurus* 1800万年前；欧洲，亚洲，北美洲；12种；平均重40公斤

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| 猫亚科 **Felinae** |
（1000万年前至今的现代猫科；北美洲，南美洲，欧洲，亚洲，非洲；44种）

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| †**剑齿虎亚科 Machairodontinae** |

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| 后猫族 *Metailurini* |

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†管猫属 *Adelphailurus* 1000-5百万年前；北美洲；一种；重50公斤

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†浮渡剑齿虎属 *Pontosmilus* 4种

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† *Stenailurus*属 700万年前；欧洲

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†后猫属 *Metailurus* 900万年前至公元前11000年；非洲，北美洲，欧洲，亚洲；6种

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†恐猫属 *Dinofelis*（又称*Therailurus*） 500-1百万年前；欧洲，亚洲，非洲，北美洲；8种；平均重90公斤

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| 刃齿虎族 Smilodontini
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†副剑齿虎属 *Paramachairodus*（又称*Paramegantereon*，*Promegantereon*） 1500至900万年前；欧洲，亚洲；两种；平均重55公斤

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†巨颏虎属 *Megantereon* 600至200万年前；北美洲，非洲，亚洲；12种；平均重120公斤

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†刃齿虎属 *Smilodon* 2500万年前至公元前10000年；北美洲，南美洲；3种；平均重400公斤

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| 锯齿虎族 Homotherini
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†*Lokotunjailurus*属 1000万年前；非洲

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†锯齿虎属 *Homotherium* 5百万年前至公元前10000年；北美洲，南美洲，欧洲，亚洲，非洲；14种；平均重190公斤

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†异剑齿虎属 *Xenosmilus* 100万年前；北美洲；一种；重300公斤

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| 剑齿虎族 Machairodontini
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†*Miomachairodus*属 1200万年前；欧洲，亚洲，非洲，北美洲；一种

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†剑齿虎属 *Machairodus*（又称*Nimravides*，*Amphimachairodus*） 1100万年前至公元前126000年；欧洲，亚洲，非洲，北美洲；20种；平均重300公斤

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## 牙齒

劍齒虎亞科可分為兩類：有較長像匕首或較短像彎刀的牙齒。擁有像匕首牙齒的都有較粗壯的身體，且牙齒伸延過了下頜；而擁有像彎刀牙齒的都較輕盈及四肢較長。異劍齒虎是一個例外，牠同時擁有粗壯軀體及較短的彎刀型牙齒的特徵。

## 與其他貓科的關係

劍齒虎亞科並非與虎屬同一亞科，而且沒有證據顯示牠們有虎紋的毛皮，但肯定的是牠們並非像虎般獵食。2005年的聚合酶鏈鎖反應分析確定劍齒虎亞科是從現今貓科的祖先分支出來，且與其他貓亞科不是近親。

## 棲息地

普遍認為劍齒虎亞科都是生活在因冰河時期造成的寒冷地區。當中一些更確定牠們生活在下雪的地方，而劍齒虎亞科的歷史可追溯至溫暖氣候的漸新世，牠們的多樣化一同與生物群系成長。牠們最終於1萬年前才滅絕。

## 獵食技巧

劍齒虎亞科的獵食方式一直備受爭議。原先認為牠們是以其犬齒直接咬死獵物，但是其牙齒卻很易碎，對於大型的獵物，牙齒會很易被破壞，並影響獵食。一些科學家認為牠們是以其牙齒割開大型動物的腹部，待獵物失血而死亡。當劍齒虎亞科獵食大型的有蹄動物時，牠們的牙齒可以同時咬破動脈及靜脈。牠們的獵食方法卻仍然會傷害牙齒，但卻比前者有較低的風險。若劍齒虎亞科會表現自己，牠們可能會征服該獵物才施以致命的一擊。

## 參考