Albanosmilus is an extinct genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Barbourofelidae

Barbourofelidae

Barbourofelidae is an extinct family of mammalian carnivores of the suborder Feliformia, which lived in North America, Eurasia and Africa during the Miocene epoch , existing for approximately .- Taxonomy :...

.
It was previously thought to be constituents of the feliform Nimravidae

Nimravidae

The Nimravidae, sometimes known as false saber-toothed cats, are an extinct family of mammalian carnivores belonging to the suborder Feliformia and endemic to North America, Europe, and Asia living from the Eocene through the Miocene epochs , existing for approximately .-Morphology:Although some...

 family of false sabre-toothed cats. It was assigned to Barbourofelinae by Bryant (1991).

It lived during Middle and Upper Miocene in Europe, Asia, and North America. Albanosmilus was comparatively more bulky and muscular than today's large cats, such as the tiger, and probably resembled a bear-like lion. There is only one known specimen of this cat-like creature, Albanosmilus jordani.

Sister genera

Afrosmilus, Barbourofelis

Barbourofelis

Barbourofelis is an extinct genus of large, mostly carnivorous mammals of the family Barbourofelidae endemic to North America, during the Miocene living from 13.6—5.3 Ma and existed for approximately .-Taxonomy:...

, Ginsburgsmilus

Ginsburgsmilus

Ginsburgsmilus is an extinct genus of carnivorous mammal of the family Barbourofelidae endemic to Africa during the early Miocene. There is only one known specimen of Ginsburgsmilus napakensis, dated to 20-19 mya.-Taxonomy:...

, Prosansanosmilus

Prosansanosmilus

Prosansanosmilus is an extinct genus of mammalian carnivores of the suborder Feliformia, family Barbourofelidae, which lived in Europe during the Miocene epoch , existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:...

, Sansanosmilus

Sansanosmilus

Sansanosmilus is an extinct genus of carnivorous mammal of the family Barbourofelidae endemic to Europe, and Asia living during the Miocene 13.6—11.1 mya, existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:...

, Syrtosmilus, Vampyrictis.