V průběhu neogénu byli s výjimkou jihoamerických vačnatých thylakosmilidů po celém světě jedinými představiteli šavlozubého ekomorfotypu již pouze šelmy barbourofelidi (Barbourofelidae) a příslušníci čeledi kočkovitých (Felidae). Někteří z nich pak dosahovali značné velikosti a mimořádně robustní stavby těla, přičemž v těchto ohledech překonávali ty největší zástupce dnešních velkých koček. Zvláště šavlozubé kočky na dlouhou dobu obsadily pozici na vrcholu potravní pyramidy, než nakonec definitivně vymizely ke konci pleistocénu ze Severní a Jižní Ameriky. Ve Starém světě však vyhynuly již o něco dříve během čtvrtohor, zřejmě následkem zesílené vzájemné konkurence s velkými kočkami, především pak se lvy a tygry.

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During the Neogene, with the exception of thylacosmilids, barbourofelids and felids were the only representatives of the sabre--tooth ecomorphotype worldwide. Some of them attained tremendous size and were of very robust somatic constitution, exceeding in these aspects the largest contemporary cats. Especially the sabre-tooth felids occupied the top of the trophic chain for a long time before their demise at the end of the Pleistocene in both North and South Ameri­ca. But in the Old World these predators disappeared somewhat earlier, probably due to the strength of mutual competition with other large felids, namely the lions and tigers.