Felidae

Felidae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae
Subfamilies
Felinae Pantherinae Acinonychinae

All cats are members of the family Felidae. The felines are the most strictly carnivorous of all the nine families in the order to which they belong, Carnivora. It is thought that the closest relatives of the cats are the other families in their branch of the carnivore evolutionary tree: the civets, hyenas, and mongooses. The first felids emerged during the Eocene, about 40 million years ago. The most familiar feline is the Domestic Cat, which first became associated with humans between 7000 and 4000 years ago. Its wild relatives remain in Africa and western Asia to this day, although habitat destruction has restricted their range.

Other well-known members of the cat family include big cats such as the Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Jaguar, and Cheetah (although the Cheetah, despite its size, appears to be descended from the small cats), and other wild cats such as the lynxes, Puma, and Bobcat.

A classification of cats

Subfamily Felinae

Genus Felis

• Wild Cat, Felis silvestris
  • Desert Cat or African Wild Cat, Felis silvestris lybica, sometimes Felis lybica
  • Domestic Cat, Felis silvestris catus, sometimes Felis catus
• Sand Cat, Felis margarita
• Jungle Cat, Felis chaus
• Black-footed Cat, Felis nigripes
• Chinese Desert Cat, Felis bieti

Genus Otocolobus

• Pallas Cat, Otocolobus manul

Genus Catopuma

• Asiatic Golden Cat, Catopuma temmincki
• Bay Cat, Catopuma badia

Genus Profelis

• African Golden Cat, Profelis aurata

Genus Prionailurus

• Leopard Cat, Prionailurus bengalensis
• Fishing Cat, Prionailurus viverrinus
• Flat-headed Cat, Prionailurus planiceps
• Rusty-spotted Cat, Prionailurus rubiginosus

Genus Lynx

• Eurasian Lynx, Lynx lynx
• Spanish Lynx, Lynx pardinus
• Canada Lynx, Lynx canadensis
• Bobcat, Lynx rufus

Genus Caracal

• Caracal, Caracal caracal

Genus Leptailurus

• Serval, Leptailurus serval

Genus Herpailurus

• Jaguarundi, Herpailurus yaguarondi

Genus Oncifelis

• Pampas Cat, Oncifelis colocolo
• Geoffroy's Cat, Oncifelis geoffroyi
• Kodkod, Oncifelis guigna

Genus Oreailurus

• Andean Cat, Oreailurus jacobita

Genus Leopardus

• Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis
• Margay, Leopardus wiedii
• Little Spotted Cat, Leopardus tigrinus

Genus Puma

• Puma, Puma concolor

Subfamily Pantherinae

Genus Pardofelis

• Marbled Cat, Pardofelis marmorata

Genus Neofelis

• Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa

Genus Uncia

• Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia

Genus Panthera

• Lion, Panthera leo
• Tiger, Panthera tigris
• Leopard, Panthera pardus
• Jaguar, Panthera onca

Subfamily Acinonychinae

Genus Acinonyx

• Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus

Fossil cats

The oldest known felines (Aelurogale, Eofelis) emerged in the Eocene. Better known is Proailurus, which lived in the Oligocene and Miocene eras. During the Miocene it gave way to Pseudaelurus. Pseudaelurus is believed to be the latest common ancestor of the three above-mentioned subfamilies and another subfamily, the Machairodontinae. This group, better known as the sabertooth cats, became extinct in the Pleistocene era. It includes the genera Smilodon, Machairodus, Dinofelis and Homotherium.

References

• Mammal Species of The World
• www.csew.com/fe---
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ht---
• www.itis.usda.gov/s---

See also

• Phantom cats

Felidae is also the title of a novel by Akif Pirincci in which a cat named Joseph investigates the murders of several cats in the big city. The sequel is Felidae on the Road.

Referenced By