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Felinae
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Felinae

Felinae[1]
Temporal range: MioceneHolocene, 9–0 Ma
Clockwise, an ocelot, a European wildcat, a cougar and a cheetah
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Fischer von Waldheim, 1817
Type genus
Felis
Genera

See §Taxonomy

Native ranges of Felinae

The Felinae or small cats are a subfamily of the Felidae distinguished by a bony hyoid, because of which they can purr but not roar.[2] Other authors have proposed an alternative definition for this subfamily, as comprising only the living conical-toothed cat genera with two tribes, the Felini and Pantherini, and excluding the extinct sabre-toothed Machairodontinae.[3][4]

Characteristics

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The members of the Felinae have retractile claws that are protected by at least one cutaneous lobe. Their larynx is kept close to the base of the skull by an ossified hyoid.[5] They can purr owing to the vocal folds being shorter than 6 mm (0.24 in).[6][7] The cheetah Acinonyx does not have cutaneous sheaths for guarding claws.[8]

Taxonomy

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The term 'Felini' was first used in 1817 by Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim, at the time for all the cat species that had been proposed as belonging to the genus Felis.[9] In 1917, Reginald Innes Pocock also subordinated the following genera to the Felinae that had been proposed in the course of the 19th century: Lynx, Puma, Leptailurus, Prionailurus, Pardofelis, Leopardus, Herpailurus, Neofelis and four more.[5]

The Felinae and Pantherinae probably diverged about 11.5 million years ago. The genera within the Felinae diverged between 10.67 and 4.23 million years ago.[10][11]

Today, the following living genera and species are recognised as belonging to the Felinae:[2]

Genus Species Image of type species Range
Acinonyx Brookes, 1828[12] Africa and Southwestern Asia
Caracal Gray, 1843[14] Africa and Southwestern Asia
Catopuma Severtzov, 1858[17] Southeastern Asia
Felis Linnaeus, 1758[20]
Herpailurus Severtzov, 1858[17] Central and Southern America
Leopardus Gray, 1842[28] Central and Southern America
Leptailurus Severtzov, 1858[17] Africa
Lynx Kerr, 1792[37] Northern Hemisphere
Otocolobus Brandt, 1842[41] Central Asia
Pardofelis Severtzov, 1858[17] Southeastern Asia
Prionailurus Severtzov, 1858[17] Southeastern and Eastern Asia
Puma Jardine 1834[48] Americas

Extinct taxa

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Genus Species Image
Felis
Acinonyx

Lynx
Puma

Leopardus
Leptofelis Salesa et al., 2017
  • L. vallesiensis
Miracinonyx Adams, 1979[52]
  • M. inexpectatus
  • M. trumani
Pratifelis Hibbard, 1934
  • P. martini
Pristifelis Salesa et al., 2012
  • P. attica
Sivapanthera Kretzoi, 1929[53]
  • S. arvernensis
  • S. brachygnathus
  • S. linxiaensis
  • S. padhriensis
  • S. pleistocaenicus
  • S. potens
Sivapardus Bikr, 1969[citation needed]
  • S. punjabiensis
Vishnufelis Pilgrim, 1932
  • V. laticeps

Phylogeny

[edit]

The phylogenetic relationships of Felinae are shown in the following cladogram:[54][55][2]

Felinae
Felinae
Domestic cat lineage
Felis

Felis catus (domestic cat)

Felis lybica (African wildcat)

Felis bieti (Chinese mountain cat)

Felis silvestris (European wildcat)

Felis lunensis (Martelli's cat)

Felis margarita (Sand cat)

Felis nigripes (Black-footed cat)

Felis chaus (Jungle cat)

Pristifelis

Pristifelis attica

Leopard cat lineage
Prionailurus

Prionailurus bengalensis (Leopard cat)

Prionailurus javanensis (Sunda leopard cat)

Prionailurus viverrinus (Fishing cat)

Prionailurus planiceps (Flat-headed cat)

Prionailurus rubiginosus (Rusty-spotted cat)

Otocolobus

Otocolobus manul (Pallas's cat)

Puma lineage
Puma

Puma concolor (Cougar)

Puma pardoides (Eurasian puma)

Puma pumoides

Miracinonyx

Miracinonyx inexpectatus

Miracinonyx trumani

Herpailurus

Herpailurus yagouaroundi (Jaguarundi)

Acinonyx

Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah)

Acinonyx pardinensis (Giant cheetah)

Acinonyx aicha

Acinonyx intermedius

Sivapanthera

Sivapanthera brachygnathus

Sivapanthera pleistocaenicus

Sivapanthera potens

Sivapanthera linxiaensis

Sivapanthera padhriensis

Sivapanthera arvernensis

Lynx
Lynx lineage

Lynx lynx (Eurasian lynx)

Lynx pardinus (Iberian lynx)

Lynx canadensis (Canada lynx)

Lynx rufus (Bobcat)

Lynx issiodorensis (Issoire lynx)

Lynx rexroadensis

Lynx thomasi

Leopardus
Ocelot lineage

Leopardus pardalis (Ocelot)

Leopardus wiedii (Margay)

Leopardus tigrinus (Oncilla)

Leopardus guigna (Kodkod)

Leopardus geoffroyi (Geoffroy's cat)

Leopardus guttulus (Southern tiger cat)

Leopardus colocolo (Pampas cat)

Leopardus jacobita (Andean mountain cat)

Leopardus vorohuensis

Caracal lineage
Caracal

Caracal caracal (Caracal)

Caracal aurata (African golden cat)

Leptailurus

Leptailurus serval (Serval)

Bay cat lineage
Catopuma

Catopuma badia (Bay cat)

Catopuma temminckii (Asian golden cat)

Pardofelis

Pardofelis marmorata (Marbled cat)

Pratifelis

Pratifelis martini

Leptofelis

Leptofelis vallesiensis

sensu stricto

Pantherinae

Miopanthera

Miopanthera pamiri

sensu lato

See also

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References

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