Notopanthera ferox
In the time of humans, cats were a nuisance in Australia. Since 1820, over three million feral cats have come to populate the continent. Cats are extremely effective predators, and their spread has contributed to the extinction of at least 22 native mammal species. Even today, feral cats have begun to grow abnormally large, reaping the rewards of their success. Lax control programs have ensured their survival past the Holocene, and as time went on the cats became progressively larger and more ambitious.
Notopanthera is the largest terrestrial predator in Australia ten million years hence, with large individuals being comparable in size to a mountain lion. Its upper canines have grown so large as to stick out of the mouth when closed. This re-evolution of saber teeth is not surprising, as it had evolved at least six times previously in synapsids. A pursuit predator, it preys upon kangaroos, emus, and camels. It’s most common in open, drier habitats, but it is versatile and can be found across the continent.