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Felidae (cat)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1821Felidae Gray p. 302
1825Felidae Gray p. 339
1850Felidae Bonaparte p. 1
1873Felidae Leidy p. 315
1875Felidae Cope p. 5–7
1882Felidae Mivart p. 140
1883Felidae Flower p. 186
1889Felidae Cope p. 876
1891Felidae Flower and Lydekker p. 91
1902Felidae Hay p. 777
1908Felidae Lambe
1965Felidae Savage p. 302
1968Felidae Kurten p. 72
1980Felidae Kurten and Anderson p. 185
1982Felidae Flynn and Galiano p. 47
1988Felidae Carroll
1989Felidae Hunt, Jr. p. 28
1991Felidae Nowak
1996Felidae Morlo p. 205
1998Felidae Hunt, Jr. p. 62
2001Felidae Sach and Heizmann p. 28
2005Felidae Wilson and Reeder
2010Felidae Salesa et al.
2011Felidae Mazak et al.
2013Felidae Antón et al. p. 1206
2013Felidae Tseng et al.
2021Felidae Hassanin et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
Theriiformes()
Trechnotheria
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Ferae()
CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivora
suborderFeliformiaKretzoi 1945
superfamilyFeloideaHay 1930
familyFelidae
familyFelidae

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. Felidae Gray 1821 [cat]
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G. †Aeluropsis Lydekker 1884
G. Catolynx Severtzov 1858
G. Cynaelurus Gloger 1841
G. Cynailurus Wagler
G. †Diamantofelis Morales et al. 1998
+
Diamantofelis ferox Morales et al. 1998
Diamantofelis minor Morales et al. 1998
G. †Drepanodon Nesti 1826
G. †Epimachairodus Kretzoi 1929
Subfm. Felinae Trouessart 1885
+
G. Acinonyx Brookes 1828 [cheetah]
+
Acinonyx aicha Geraads 1997
Acinonyx jubatus Schreber 1775 [cheetah]
Acinonyx pardinensis Croizet and Jobert 1828
G. Caracal Gray 1843
+
Caracal aurata Temminck 1827 [African golden cat]
Caracal caracal Schreber 1776 [caracal]
Caracal serval Schreber 1776 [serval]
+
Invalid names: Felis capensis Forster 1765 [synonym], Felis senegalensis Lesson 1839 [synonym]
G. Catopuma Severtzov 1858
G. Felis Linnaeus 1758 [cat]
+
Felis antediluviana Kaup 1833
Felis arundivaza Hollister 1911
Felis bieti Milne-Edwards 1892 [Chinese mountain cat]
Felis borealis Thunberg 1798
+
Invalid names: Felis isabellina Blyth 1847 [synonym], Felis maculata Horsfield and Vigors 1829 [synonym]
Felis catus Linnaeus 1758 [cat]
Felis chaus Schreber 1777 [jungle cat]
Felis domesticus Erxleben 1777 [domestic cat]
Felis gombaszoegensis Kretzoi 1938
Felis improcera Phillips 1912
Felis lunensis Martelli 1906
Felis lybica Forster 1780 [African wildcat]
Felis margarita Loche 1858 [sand cat]
Felis maximus Scott and Osborn 1890
Felis nigripes Burchell 1824 [black-footed cat]
Felis ocreata Gmelin 1791
Felis pardoides Owen 1846
Felis platensis Ameghino 1889
Felis prisca Kaup 1833
Felis proplatensis Ameghino 1904
Felis propuma Ameghino 1904
Felis pumoides Castellanos 1958
Felis rexroadensis Stephens 1959
Felis silvestris Schreber 1777 [wildcat]
+
Felis silvestris lybica Forster 1780
Felis toscana Schaub 1949
Felis youngi Pei
G. Herpailurus Severtzov 1858
G. Leopardus Gray 1842
+
Leopardus colocolo Molina 1782 [pampas cat]
Leopardus geoffroyi d'Orbigny and Gervais 1844 [geoffroy's cat]
Leopardus guigna Molina 1782 [kodkod]
Leopardus guttulus Hensel 1872
Leopardus jacobita Cornalia 1865 [Andean mountain cat]
Leopardus pardalis Linnaeus 1758 [ocelot]
Leopardus tigrinus Schreber 1775 [oncilla]
+
Felis pardinoides oncilla Wilson and Reeder 2005
Invalid names: Felis pardinoides Gray 1867 [synonym]
Leopardus vorohuensis Berta 1983
Leopardus wiedii Schinz 1821 [margay]
+
Invalid names: Felis amnicola Gillette 1976 [synonym], Felis elegans Lesson 1830 [synonym], Felis macroura Wied 1826 [synonym]
G. Leptailurus Severtzov 1858
G. †Leptofelis Salesa et al. 2017
+
Leptofelis vallesiensis Salesa et al. 2012
G. Lynx Kerr 1792 [lynx]
+
Lynx canadensis Kerr 1792 [Canadian lynx]
Lynx issiodorensis Croizet and Jobert 1828
Lynx longignathus Shotwell 1956
Lynx lynx Linnaeus 1758 [Eurasian lynx]
Lynx pardinus Temminck 1827 [Iberian lynx]
Lynx proterolyncis Savage 1941
Lynx rufus Schreber 1777 [bobcat]
+
Invalid names: Felis calcaratus Cope 1899 [synonym], Lynx compressus Brown 1908 [synonym]
Lynx shansius Teilhard de Chardin and Leroy 1945
Lynx texensis Allen 1895
Invalid names: Felis (Lynx) vulgaris maculatus Kerr 1792 [replaced], Lyncus Gray 1825 [synonym]
G. †Miopanthera Kretzoi 1938
+
Miopanthera lorteti Gaillard 1899
Miopanthera pamiri Ozansoy 1965
G. †Miracinonyx Adams 1979 [American cheetah]
+
+
Invalid names: Felis longicrus Brown 1908 [synonym], Smilodontopsis mooreheadi Hay 1920 [synonym]
Miracinonyx studeri Savage 1960
Miracinonyx trumani Orr 1969
G. Neofelis Gray 1867 [clouded leopard]
+
Neofelis diardi Cuvier 1823
Neofelis nebulosa Griffith 1821 [clouded leopard]
G. Otocolobus Brandt 1842
+
Otocolobus manul Pallas 1776 [Pallas's cat]
G. Panthera Oken 1816
+
Subg. Panthera (Jaguarius) Simpson 1941
Panthera balamoides Stinnesbeck et al. 2018
Panthera blytheae Tseng et al. 2013
Panthera gombaszoegensis Kretzoi 1938
Panthera leo Linnaeus 1758 [lion]
+
Panthera leo atrox Leidy 1853
Invalid names: Felis imperialis Leidy 1873 [synonym], Panthera onca mesembrina Cabrera 1934 [synonym]
Panthera leo spelaea Goldfuss 1810
Panthera onca Linnaeus 1758 [jaguar]
+
Invalid names: Felis augustus Leidy 1872 [synonym], Felis listai Roth 1899 [synonym], Felis veronis Hay 1919 [synonym]
Panthera palaeosinensis Qiu et al. 2004
Panthera pardus Linnaeus 1758 [leopard]
Panthera tigris Linnaeus 1758 [tiger]
Panthera uncia Schreber 1775 [snow leopard]
Panthera zdanskyi Mazak et al. 2011
Invalid names: Leo Brehm 1829 [synonym], Tigris Gray 1843 [synonym]
G. Pardofelis Severtzov 1858
+
Pardofelis badia Gray 1874 [bay cat]
Pardofelis marmorata Martin 1837 [marbled cat]
Pardofelis temminckii Vigors and Horsfield 1827 [Asian golden cat]
G. †Pratifelis Hibbard 1934
+
Pratifelis martini Hibbard 1934
G. Prionailurus Severtzov 1858
+
Prionailurus bengalensis Kerr 1792 [leopard cat]
+
Prionailurus javanensis Desmarest 1816
Prionailurus planiceps Vigors and Horsfield 1827 [flat-headed cat]
Prionailurus rubiginosus Geoffroy 1831 [rusty-spotted cat]
Prionailurus viverrinus Bennett 1833 [fishing cat]
G. †Pristifelis Salesa et al. 2012
+
Pristifelis attica Wagner 1857
G. Puma Jardine 1834 [cougar]
+
Puma concolor Linnaeus 1771 [puma]
+
Invalid names: Felis aztecus Merriam 1903 [synonym], Felis bangsi Merriam 1901 [synonym], Felis bituminosa Merriam and Stock 1932 [synonym], Felis californica May 1896 [synonym], Felis coryi Bangs 1899 [synonym], Felis couguar Kerr 1792 [synonym], Felis daggetti Merriam 1918 [synonym], Felis hawveri Stock 1918 [synonym], Felis hippolestes Merriam 1897 [synonym], Felis oregonensis Rafinesque 1832 [synonym], Felis puma Molina 1782 [synonym]
Puma lacustris Gazin 1933
Puma yagouaroundi Geoffroy 1803 [jaguarundi]
+
Invalid names: Felis apache Mearns 1901 [synonym], Felis darwini Martin 1837 [synonym], Felis jaguarondi Fischer 1814 [objective synonym], Felis unicolor Trail 1819 [synonym]
G. †Sivapanthera Kretsoi
+
Sivapanthera arvernensis Croizet and Jobert 1828
Sivapanthera linxiaensis Qiu et al. 2004
G. †Styriofelis Kretzoi 1929
+
Styriofelis turnauensis Hoernes 1882
Invalid names: Felini Gray 1825 [empty]
G. †Hyperailurictis Kretzoi 1929
G. †Jansofelis Bonifay 1971
+
Jansofelis vaufreyi Bonifay 1971
G. †Katifelis Adrian et al. 2018
+
Katifelis nightingalei Adrian et al. 2018
G. †Machaerodus Kaup 1833
+
Machaerodus ensenadensis Ameghino 1888
Machaerodus niobrarensis Thorpe 1922
Subfm. †Machairodontinae Gill 1872
+
G. †Dinofelis Zdansky 1924
+
Dinofelis abeli Zdansky 1924
Dinofelis aronoki Werdelin and Lewis 2001
Dinofelis barlowi Broom 1937
Dinofelis cristata Falconer and Cautley 1836
Dinofelis darti Toerien 1955
Dinofelis diastemata Astre 1929
Dinofelis palaeoonca Meade 1945
Dinofelis petteri Werdelin and Lewis 2001
Dinofelis piveteaui Ewer 1955
Dinofelis werdelini Jiangzuo et al. 2023
G. †Hemimachairodus Koeningswald 1974
Tr. †Machairodontini Gill 1872
+
G. †Adeilosmilus Jiangzuo et al. 2022
+
Adeilosmilus kabir Peigne et al. 2005
G. †Amphimachairodus Kretzoi 1929
+
Amphimachairodus alvarezi Ruiz-Ramoni et al. 2019
Amphimachairodus hezhengensis Jiangzuo et al. 2023
Amphimachairodus horribilis Schlosser 1903
Subtr. †Homotheriina Jiangzuo et al. 2022
+
G. †Homotherium Fabrini 1890
+
Homotherium crenatidens Fabrini 1890
+
Invalid names: Homotherium nestianus Fabrini 1890 [synonym]
Homotherium crusafonti Schultz and Martin 1970
Homotherium hadarensis Petter and Howell 1988
Homotherium idahoensis Merriam 1918
Homotherium ischyrus Merriam 1905
Homotherium johnstoni Mawby 1965
Homotherium latidens Owen 1846 [scimitar toothed cat]
+
Invalid names: Homotherium serum Cope 1893 [synonym]
Homotherium problematicum Collings 1972
Homotherium sainzelli Aymard 1853
Homotherium ultimum Teilhard 1936
Invalid names: Dinobastis Cope 1893 [synonym]
G. †Nimravides Kitts 1958
+
Nimravides galiani Baskin 1981
Nimravides hibbardi Dalquest 1969
Nimravides pedionomus Macdonald 1948
Nimravides thinobates Macdonald 1948
G. †Xenosmilus Martin et al. 2000
+
Xenosmilus hodsonae Martin et al. 2000
Xenosmilus venezuelensis Rincón et al. 2011
G. †Lokotunjailurus Werdelin 2003
+
Lokotunjailurus chinsamyae Jiangzuo et al. 2023
Lokotunjailurus emageritus Werdelin 2003
Lokotunjailurus fanonei de Bonis et al. 2010
G. †Machairodus Kaup 1833
+
Machairodus africanus Arambourg 1979
Machairodus catocopis Cope 1887
Machairodus giganteus Wagner 1848
Machairodus ischimicus Orlov 1936
Machairodus kurteni Sotnikova 1991
Machairodus lahayishupup Orcutt and Calede 2021
Machairodus necator Gervais 1880
Machairodus nihowanensis Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau 1930
Machairodus tanneri Martin and Schultz 1975
G. †Miomachairodus Schmidt-Kittler 1976
G. †Taowu Jiangzuo et al. 2022
+
Taowu liui Jiangzuo et al. 2022
+
G. †Adelphailurus Hibbard 1934
+
Adelphailurus kansensis Hibbard 1934
G. †Metailurus Zdansky 1924
+
Metailurus major Zdansky 1924
Metailurus parvulus Hensel 1862
Metailurus ultimus Li 2014
G. †Pontosmilus Kretzoi 1929
G. †Stenailurus Crusafont-Pairo and Aguirre 1972
G. †Therailurus Piveteau 1948
G. †Yoshi Spassov and Geraads 2015
+
Yoshi faie Jiangzou et al. 2022
Yoshi garevskii Spassov and Geraads 2015
Yoshi minor Zdansky 1924
Yoshi obscura Hendey 1974
Yoshi yongdengensis Jiangzou et al. 2022
G. †Paramachaerodus Pilgrim 1913
+
Paramachaerodus schlosseri Weithofer 1888
Paramachaerodus transasiaticus Li and Spassov 2017
Paramachaerodus yingliangi Jiangzou et al. 2022
Invalid names: Promegantereon Kretzoi 1938 [synonym]
Tr. †Smilodontini Kretzoi 1929
+
G. †Megantereon Croizet and Jobert 1828
+
Megantereon cultridens Cuvier 1824
Megantereon eurynodon Ewer 1955
Megantereon falconeri Pomel 1853
+
Invalid names: Megantereon sivalensis Falconer and Cautley 1868 [synonym]
Megantereon gracilis Broom and Schepers 1946
Megantereon hesperus Gazin 1933
Megantereon inexpectatus Teilhard de Chardin 1939
Megantereon megantereon Croizet and Jobert 1828
Megantereon nihowanensis Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau 1930
Megantereon whitei Broom 1937
G. †Rhizosmilodon Wallace and Hulbert 2013
+
Rhizosmilodon fiteae Wallace and Hulbert 2013
G. †Smilodon Lund 1841 [saber-toothed cat]
+
Smilodon crucians Ameghino 1904
Smilodon fatalis Leidy 1868
+
Invalid names: Machaerodus floridanus Leidy 1889 [synonym], Smilodon californicus Bovard 1907 [synonym], Smilodon nebraskensis Matthew 1918 [synonym], Smilodon trinitiensis Slaughter 1960 [synonym], Smilodontopsis conardi Brown 1908 [synonym], Smilodontopsis troglodytes Brown 1908 [synonym]
Smilodon gracilis Cope 1880
+
Invalid names: Uncia mercerii Cope 1895 [synonym]
Smilodon populator Lund 1842
+
Invalid names: Smilodon neogaeus Lund 1879 [synonym]
Smilodon riggii Kraglievich 1948
Invalid names: Smilodontidion Kraglievich 1948 [synonym], Smilodontopsis Brown 1908 [synonym], Trucifelis Leidy 1869 [synonym]
G. †Mellivorodon Lydekker 1884
G. †Namafelis Morales et al. 2003
G. Plethaelurus Cope 1882
G. †Proailurus Filhol 1879
+
Proailurus lemanensis Filhol 1879
G. †Profelis Severtzov 1858
G. †Propontosmilus Kretzoi 1929
G. †Pseudaelurus Leidy 1858
+
Pseudaelurus aeluroides Macdonald 1954
Pseudaelurus africanus Andrews 1914
Pseudaelurus cuspidatus Wang et al. 1998
Pseudaelurus edwardsi Filhol 1872
Pseudaelurus guangheensis Cao et al. 1990
Pseudaelurus marshi Thorpe 1922
Pseudaelurus quadridentatus de Blainville 1843
Pseudaelurus romieviensis Roman and Viret 1934
Pseudaelurus skinneri Rothwell 2003
Pseudaelurus stouti Schultz and Martin 1972
Pseudaelurus validus Rothwell 2001
G. †Sivaelurus Pilgrim 1913
G. †Sivafelis Pilgrim 1932
G. †Sivasmilus Kretzoi 1929
G. Uncia Schreber 1775
G. †Vinayakia Pilgrim 1932
G. †Viretailurus Hemmer 1965
G. †Vishnufelis Pilgrim 1932
Invalid names: Pantherinae Pocock 1917 [empty]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: scansorialf
Diet: carnivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Comments: life habit and diet based on Nowak 1999; see also Van Valkenburgh 1988f
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2009-01-04 16:22:03
Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Lillegraven 1979, Nowak 1991, Ji et al. 2002, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Whitneyan to the top of the Holocene or 33.30000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 30.8 Ma

Collections (1212 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Oligocene33.9 - 28.4Mongolia Proailurus sp. (77772)
Whitneyan33.3 - 30.8USA (South Dakota) Felidae indet. (17358)
Arikareean30.8 - 20.43USA (Montana) Felidae indet. (17543)
Late/Upper Oligocene28.4 - 23.03Kazakhstan Felidae indet. (74900)
MP 3028.4 - 23.03France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) Proailurus lemanensis (179146)
Late/Upper Oligocene - Early/Lower Miocene28.4 - 15.97Kazakhstan Machairodontinae indet. (74901)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Kenya Pseudaelurus africanus (146600)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Mongolia Pseudaelurus sp. (85060)
Early/Lower Miocene - Middle Miocene23.03 - 11.608Spain (Castile-La Mancha) Felidae indet. (136269)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (Kansas) Nimravides thinobates (18338)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333France Pseudaelurus quadradentatus, Pseudaelurus turnauensis (200296)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333France (Vaucluse) Machairodus giganteus (201497)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (Idaho) Felidae indet. (19087)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333Kyrgyzstan (Kochkor) Paramachaerodus sp. (219042)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (California) Felidae indet. (19376)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (Nevada) Carnivora indet. (19129) Felidae indet. (18837 18982)
Miocene - Pliocene23.03 - 2.588South Africa Dinofelis sp., Felis caracal (22224) Machairodus sp. (22228) Panthera sp. (22229)
Miocene - Pliocene23.03 - 2.588Uganda Felidae indet. (22412 22415) Homotherium sp. (22418)
Neogene23.03 - 2.588Ukraine Felidae indet. (75854) Machaerodus sp. (184130)
Neogene23.03 - 2.588Taiwan Felis sp. (76865)