Felidae

:For the novel by Akif Pirinçci, see Felidae (novel).

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Felinae

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Pantherinae

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Acinonychinae

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Machairodontinae (extinct)

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All cats are members of the family Felidae. A genetic anomaly that prevents them from tasting sweetness http://genetics.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.0010003may be responsible for felines being the most strictly carnivorous of the nine families in the order Carnivora. The cats' closest relatives are thought to be 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 still live in Africa and western Asia, although habitat destruction has restricted their range.

Related Topics:
Family - Order - Carnivora - Civet - Hyena - Mongoose - Eocene - Domestic cat - Habitat destruction

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Other well-known members of the cat family include big cats such as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, and cheetah (which despite its size, appears to be descended from the small cats), and other wild cats such as the lynx, puma, and bobcat.

Related Topics:
Big cat - Lion - Tiger - Leopard - Jaguar - Cheetah - Lynx - Puma - Bobcat

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