THE PLIOCENE PERIOD. 



331 



this period is the great " Sabre-toothed Tiger " {Machairodus), 

 species of which existed in the earher Miocene, and survived 

 to the later Post-PHocene. In this remarkable form we are 

 presented with perhaps the most highly carnivorous type of 

 all known beasts of prey. Not only aie the jaws shorter in 

 proportion even than those of the great Cats of the present 

 day, but the canine teeth (fig. 253) are of enormous size, 



Fig. 253.— A, Skull of Machairodus cultridens, without the lower jaw, reduced in 

 size ; B, Canine tooth of the same, one-half the natural size. Pliocene, France. 



greatly flattened so as to assume the form of a poignard, and 

 having their margins finely serrated. Apart from the charac- 

 ters of the skull, the remainder of the skeleton, so far as known, 

 exhibits proofs that the Sabre-toothed Tiger was extraordi- 

 narily muscular and powerful, and in the highest degree adapt- 

 ed for a life of rapine. Species of Machairodus must have 

 been as large as the existing Lion ; and the genus is not only 

 European, but is represented both in South America and in 

 India, so that the geographical range of these predaceous 

 beasts must have been very extensive. 



Lastly, we may note that the Pliocene deposits of Europe 

 have yielded the remains of Monkeys {Quadrumana\ alHed to 

 the existing Settmopitheci and Macaques. 



