#i used a double spotted leopard as ref for the rosettes

[tysonfurybattlepass]

quick doodle of pseudo-melanism in a megantereon nihowanensis.

these lesser-known true sabertoothed cats are thought to be the only arboreally mobile genus within the taxon. they are known for their exceptionally large forearms relative to body size and their mandibular phalange, a trait not seen often in true sabertoothed cats. megantereon is also thought to possibly be an ancestor to the more derived smilodon genus. the reference photo i used was of a leopard, with cranial anatomy edited to more accurately resemble the megantereon taxon.

thanks @b0chelly for the suggestion!