Sabered gryphon

Long rumored to have survived to modern day, sabered gryphons are now considered to be extinct, and long-gone. Still, some suggest that they have survived, claiming to have seen some, or to know someone who has. No proof exists that they have survived the Quaternary extinction event 10,000 years ago, however.
This extinction is rather unfortunate, however, as much confusion exists about sabered gryphons. They are considered to be one of the oldest species of gryphons known to exist, and possibly even the oldest, but their relation to modern gryphons is... unclear. They may be a predecessor species, not going extinct but evolving into the current species, or may be a species within that same genus. Alternatively, however, sabered gryphons may also be a sister species in a different lineage, or possibly not related to modern gryphons at all, with its similar appearance caused by convergent evolution.

Basic Information

Anatomy

As suggested by their name, sabered gryphons strongly resembled modern-day gryphons . They were quadrupedal animals with an additional set of limbs in the form of feathered wings, with which they could fly. They were medium to large in size, comparable to modern gryphons (if on the bigger end), but more robustly built, with strong limbs and broad wings, and short tails with wide feather fans.
Their bird-like heads had hooked beaks, with large protruding canine teeth, after which they are named. Their skulls were robust, with powerful jaw muscles. The rest of their anatomy was comparable to modern gryphons, with cat-like bodies and bird-like feet.

Ecology and Habitats

Sabered gryphons used to hunt in open areas, and presumably spent much of their time in such areas. They were high-ranking predators, hunting primarily large prey but regularly taking down smaller prey as well, especially if opportunity arose. In lean times they would regularly hunt small mammals and reptiles.

EXTINCT

Origin/Ancestry

North American