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'''Thylacosmilus''' ("Pouch Saber") was a genus of saber-toothed marsupial predators that first appeared during the Miocene. Remains of the animal have been found in parts of South America, primarily Argentina. It was not a relative of the true saber-tooth cat, but rather a prime example of convergent evolution. It was equipped with large teeth and powerful shoulders, both of which allowed it to dismantle its prey. ''Thylacosmilus' sabre-teeth kept growing throughout its life, unlike the sabres of true saber-tooths. It also had a pair of elongated, scabbard-like flanges growing from the lower jaw, which protected the sabre-teeth when it closed its mouth.
It became extinct during the early Pleistocene as a result of the Great American Interchange, being outcompeted by true saber-tooth cats such as ''Smilodon''.

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★ Thylacosmilus (marsupial sabre-tooth)

★ Art by Maximo Salas

★ Skull of Thylacosmilus

★ Comparison of Thylacosmilus (upper) and Smilodon (below)