Felidae
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (January 2024) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Felidae Ma[1]
| |
---|---|
Clockwise, a tiger (Panthera tigris), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), European wildcat (Felis silvestris), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), serval (Leptailurus serval), and cougar (Puma concolor). | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Superfamily: | Feloidea
|
Family: | Felidae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 |
Type genus | |
Felis | |
Genera and Subfamilies | |
| |
The native distribution and density of extant felid species. |
Felidae (
The 41
Reginald Innes Pocock divided the extant Felidae into three subfamilies: the Pantherinae, the Felinae and the Acinonychinae, differing from each other by the ossification of the hyoid apparatus and by the cutaneous sheaths which protect their claws.[10] This concept has been revised following developments in
The first cats emerged during the
Characteristics
All members of the cat family have the following characteristics in common:
- They are
- The plantar pads of both fore and hind feet form compact three-lobed cushions.[13]
- They actively protract the claws by contracting muscles in the toe,[9] and they passively retract them. The dewclaws are expanded but do not protract.[14]
- They have lithe and flexible bodies with muscular limbs.[9]
- Their skulls are foreshortened with a rounded profile and large orbits.[14]
- They have 30 teeth with a canine teeth are large, reaching exceptional size in the extinct saber-toothed species. The lower carnassial is smaller than the upper carnassial and has a crown with two compressed blade-like pointed cusps.[9]
- Their papillae, which rasp meat from prey and aid in grooming.[14]
- Their noses project slightly beyond the lower jaw.[12]
- Their eyes are relatively large, situated to provide nocturnal. The retina of felids also contains a relatively high proportion of rod cells, adapted for distinguishing moving objects in conditions of dim light, which are complemented by the presence of cone cells for sensing colour during the day.[9]
- They have well-developed and highly sensitive whiskers above the eyes, on the cheeks, and the muzzle, but not below the chin.[12] Whiskers help to navigate in the dark and to capture and hold prey.[14]
- Their
- The penis is subconical,[12] facing backwards when not erect.[15] The baculum is small or vestigial, and shorter than in the Canidae.[16][17]
- Felids have a vomeronasal organ in the roof of the mouth, allowing them to "taste" the air.[18] The use of this organ is associated with the Flehmen response.[19]
- They cannot detect the sweetness of sugar, as they lack the sweet taste receptor.[20]
- They share a broadly similar set of vocalizations but with some variation between species. In particular, the pitch of calls varies, with larger species producing deeper sounds; overall, the frequency of felid calls ranges between 50 and 10,000 hertz.[21][22] The standard sounds made by all felids include meowing, spitting, hissing, snarling and growling. Meowing is the main contact sound, whereas the others signify an aggressive motivation.[9]
- They can Hz and is mixed with other vocalization types during the expiratory phase.[23] The ability to roar comes from an elongated and specially adapted larynx and hyoid apparatus.[24] When air passes through the larynx on the way from the lungs, the cartilage walls of the larynx vibrate, producing sound. Only lions, leopards, tigers, and jaguars are truly able to roar, although the loudest mews of snow leopards have a similar, if less structured, sound.[9]
The colour, length and density of their fur are very diverse. Fur colour covers the gamut from white to black, and fur patterns from distinctive small spots, and stripes to small blotches and rosettes. Most cat species are born with spotted fur, except the jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) and caracal (Caracal caracal). The spotted fur of lion (Panthera leo) and cougar (Puma concolor) cubs change to uniform fur during their ontogeny.[8] Those living in cold environments have thick fur with long hair, like the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and the Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul).[14] Those living in tropical and hot climate zones have short fur.[9] Several species exhibit melanism with all-black individuals.[25]
In the great majority of cat species, the tail is between a third and a half of the body length, although with some exceptions, like the Lynx species and margay (Leopardus wiedii).[9] Cat species vary greatly in body and skull sizes, and weights:
- The largest cat species is the tiger (Panthera tigris), with a head-to-body length of up to 390 cm (150 in), a weight range of at least 65 to 325 kg (143 to 717 lb), and a skull length ranging from 316 to 413 mm (12.4 to 16.3 in).[9][26] Although the maximum skull length of a lion is slightly greater at 419 mm (16.5 in), it is generally smaller in head-to-body length than the former.[27]
- The smallest cat species are the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) and the black-footed cat (Felis nigripes). The former is 35–48 cm (14–19 in) in length and weighs 0.9–1.6 kg (2.0–3.5 lb).[9] The latter has a head-to-body length of 36.7–43.3 cm (14.4–17.0 in) and a maximum recorded weight of 2.45 kg (5.4 lb).[28][29]
Most cat species have a
Most cat species are also induced ovulators, although the margay appears to be a spontaneous ovulator.[15]
Felidae have type IIx muscle fibers three times more powerful than the muscle fibers of human athletes.[31]
Evolution
The family Felidae is part of the Feliformia, a suborder that diverged probably about 50.6 to 35 million years ago into several families.[32] The Felidae and the Asiatic linsangs are considered a sister group, which split about 35.2 to 31.9 million years ago.[33]
The earliest cats probably appeared about 35 to 28.5 million years ago.
In the Early Miocene about 20 to 16.6 million years ago, Pseudaelurus lived in Africa. Its fossil jaws were also excavated in geological formations of Europe's Vallesian, Asia's Middle Miocene and North America's late Hemingfordian to late Barstovian epochs.[35]
In the Early or Middle Miocene, the saber-toothed Machairodontinae evolved in Africa and migrated northwards in the Late Miocene.[36] With their large upper canines, they were adapted to prey on large-bodied megaherbivores.[37][38] Miomachairodus is the oldest known member of this subfamily. Metailurus lived in Africa and Eurasia about 8 to 6 million years ago. Several Paramachaerodus skeletons were found in Spain. Homotherium appeared in Africa, Eurasia and North America around 3.5 million years ago, and Megantereon about 3 million years ago. Smilodon lived in North and South America from about 2.5 million years ago. This subfamily became extinct in the Late Pleistocene.[36]
Results of
Living felids fall into eight evolutionary lineages or species clades.[44][45] Genotyping of the nuclear DNA of all 41 felid species revealed that hybridization between species occurred in the course of evolution within the majority of the eight lineages.[46]
Modelling of felid coat pattern transformations revealed that nearly all patterns evolved from small spots.[47]
Classification
Traditionally, five subfamilies had been distinguished within the Felidae based on
Phylogeny
The following cladogram based on Piras et al. (2013) depicts the phylogeny of basal living and extinct groups.[49]
Felidae |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The phylogenetic relationships of living felids are shown in the following cladogram:[46]
Felidae |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- Cat gap
- Felid hybrid
- List of felids
- List of largest cats
References
- ^ "Felidae". paleobiodb.org. Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Salles, L. O. (1992). "Felid phylogenetics: extant taxa and skull morphology (Felidae, Aeluroidea)" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3047). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
- ^ Hemmer, H. (1978). "Evolutionary systematics of living Felidae – present status and current problems". Carnivore. 1: 71–79.
- S2CID 38348868.
- PMID 18665225.
- ^ ISBN 9780199234455. Archivedfrom the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
- ^ a b Peters, G. (1982). "Zur Fellfarbe und zeichnung einiger Feliden". Bonner Zoologische Beiträge. 33 (1): 19−31.
- ^ ISBN 9780226779997. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-03-31. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- ^ .
- ^ a b Kitchener, A. C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Abramov, A. V.; Christiansen, P.; Driscoll, C.; Duckworth, J. W.; Johnson, W.; Luo, S.-J.; Meijaard, E.; O’Donoghue, P.; Sanderson, J.; Seymour, K.; Bruford, M.; Groves, C.; Hoffmann, M.; Nowell, K.; Timmons, Z.; Tobe, S. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group" (PDF). Cat News. Special Issue 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
- ^ .
- ^ a b Pocock, R. I. (1939). "Felidae". The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. – Volume 1. London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 191–330.
- ^ a b c d e Kitchener, A. C.; Van Valkenburgh, B.; Yamaguchi, N. (2010). "Felid form and function". In Macdonald, D.; Loveridge, A. (eds.). Biology and Conservation of wild felids. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 83−106. Archived from the original on 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- ^ ISBN 9780470376980. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
- ISBN 9780801484933. Archivedfrom the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- from the original on 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
- PMID 8621344.
- (PDF) from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- PMID 16103917.
- ISBN 9780226518237. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- ISBN 9780750698665. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- .
- PMID 12363272.
- S2CID 19021807.
- ^ Hewett, J. P.; Hewett Atkinson, L. (1938). Jungle trails in northern India: reminiscences of hunting in India. London: Metheun and Company Limited.
- ^ Heptner, V. G.; Sludskij, A. A. (1992) [1972]. "Tiger". Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola [Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats)]. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 95–202.
- ISBN 9780521844185. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- .
- ISBN 9780750640695.
- PMID 23155088.
- PMID 20138220.
- PMID 14667345.
- PMID 26124128.
- S2CID 67753626.[permanent dead link]
- ^ ]
- PMID 23951334.
- hdl:2158/1268434.
- from the original on 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- PMID 24225466.
- .
- PMID 22016768.
- ^ Argant, A.; Argant, J. (2011). "The Panthera gombaszogensis story: The contribution of the Château Breccia (Saône-Et-Loire, Burgundy, France)". Quaternaire. Hors-série (4): 247–269.
- from the original on 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ PMID 26518481.
- .
- ISBN 9780231110136. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- PMID 23925509.
External links
- Felidae at Curlie
- Keller, E. (2015). "Secrets of the World's 38 Species of Wild Cats". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2018-11-13.