Editing Machairodus (section)

==Paleobiology==
[[File:Machairodus from Cerro de Batallones.png|thumb|left|[[Paleoart|Life restoration]]]]

=== Predatory behavior === 
''Machairodus'' probably hunted as an ambush predator. Its legs were too short to sustain a long chase, so it most likely was a good jumper. Its teeth were rooted to its mouth and were as delicate as those in some related genera, unlike most saber-toothed cats and nimravids of the time, which often had extremely long canines which hung out of their mouths. The fangs of ''Machairodus'', however, were able to more easily fit in its mouth comfortably while being long and effective for hunting.<ref name = "Legendre">{{Cite journal |last=Legendre |first=S. |author2=Roth, C. |title=Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia) |journal=Historical Biology |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=85–98 |year=1988 |doi=10.1080/08912968809386468 |bibcode=1988HBio....1...85L }}</ref> Studies of ''Machairodus'' indicate that the cat relied predominantly on its neck muscles to make the killing bite applied to its victims. The cervical vertebrae show clear adaptations to making vertical motions in the neck and skull. There are also clear adaptations for precise movements, strength, and flexibility in the neck that show compatibility with the canine-shearing bite technique that machairodontine cats are believed to have performed. These adaptations are believed to have also been partial compensation in this primitive machairodont against the high percentage of canine breakages seen in the genus.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/188/1/319/5581941?redirectedFrom=fulltext|doi = 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz086|title = The early evolution of the sabre-toothed felid killing bite: The significance of the cervical morphology of Machairodus aphanistus (Carnivora: Felidae: Machairodontinae)|year = 2020|last1 = Antón|first1 = Mauricio|last2 = Siliceo|first2 = Gema|last3 = Pastor|first3 = Juan Francisco|last4 = Morales|first4 = Jorge|last5 = Salesa|first5 = Manuel J.|journal = Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society|volume = 188|pages = 319–342|doi-access = free}}</ref>

It is estimated that a {{cvt|136.8|kg}} ''M. aphanistus'' had a bite force of {{cvt|1,077.4|N|lbf|disp=or}} at the canines.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Christiansen |first=P. |year=2007 |title=Comparative bite forces and canine bending strength in feline and sabretooth felids: implications for predatory ecology |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=151 |issue=2 |pages=423–437 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00321.x |doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Pathology ===
''M. aphanistus'' fossils recovered from Batallones reveal a high percentage of tooth breakages, indicating that unlike later machairodonts, due to a lack of protruding incisors ''Machairodus'' often used its sabers to subdue prey in a manner similar to modern cats; this was a more risky strategy that virtually ensured that damage to their saber teeth often occurred.{{sfnp|Antón|2013|pp=183–184}} ''M. aphanistus'' fossils from Batallones displaying palaeopathologies also include a [[calcaneus]] displaying evidence of either a [[Neoplasm|tumour]] or [[osteomyelitis]], a third metacarpal displaying signs of [[osteosclerosis]], and a mandible with an abscess in the mandibular body.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite journal |last1=Salesa |first1=Manuel J. |last2=Hernández |first2=Bárbara |last3=Marín |first3=Pilar |last4=Siliceo |first4=Gema |last5=Martínez |first5=Irene |last6=Antón |first6=Mauricio |last7=García-Real |first7=María Isabel |last8=Pastor |first8=Juan Francisco |last9=García-Fernández |first9=Rosa Ana |date=31 May 2024 |title=New insights on the ecology and behavior of Machairodus aphanistus (Carnivora, Felidae, Machairodontinae) through the paleopathological study of the fossil sample from the Late Miocene (Vallesian, MN 10) of Cerro de los Batallones (Torrejón de Velasco, Madrid, Spain) |journal=[[Journal of Mammalian Evolution]] |language=en |volume=31 |issue=2 |doi=10.1007/s10914-024-09721-8 |issn=1064-7554 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Social behavior ===
''M. aphanistus'' shows a high degree of sexual dimorphism similar to [[Lion|lions]] and [[Leopard|leopards]], with males being larger than females, suggesting an increase in competition and low tolerance among males. Their high levels of sexual dimorphism would also suggest territories of males did not overlap with each other. The authors concluded that due to solitary behavior being common among modern felids, ''M. aphanistus'' would be assumed to be a solitary animal as well.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0957:FKCSOT]2.0.CO;2|issn=0272-4634 |date=2004 |volume=24 |page=957 |title=First known complete skulls of the scimitar-toothed cat ''Machairodus aphanistus'' (Felidae, Carnivora) from the Spanish late Miocene site of Batallones-1 |last1=Anton |first1=Mauricio |last2=Salesa |first2=Manuel J. |last3=Morales |first3=Jorge |last4=Turner |first4=Alan |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |issue=4 }}</ref> A 2024 paper on pathological analysis of ''M. aphanistus'' suggested that indication of survival of severe injuries, such as broken mandibles, could be evidence of some social structure. This was further supported based on modern day felids, as solitary felids with high levels of sexual dimorphism such as leopards typically die before severe injuries managed to heal, being unable to hunt for themselves or sustain themselves on carrion long-term. Lions, however, have a greater chance of survival, due to living in prides. Considering the high levels of sexual dimorphism in this species of ''Machairodus'', this would likely indicate higher levels of intolerance to other individuals within their territory. It was summarized that unlike lions, they would not have formed prides as they lived in wooded environments, unlike the open landscapes inhabited by lions. Instead, ''M. aphanistus'' would have formed coalitions of two or more individuals that protected a large area, including territories of multiple females.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>