The 10-million-year evolutionary split that defined the world's big cats
In short: Explore the deep evolutionary history of the 40 extant species of wild cats. This video traces their lineage from ancient divergences to the modern diversity we see today.
The evolutionary story of the Felidae family is defined by a major split that occurred more than 10 million years ago. This event separated the Pantherine lineage—which includes the 'big five'—from the Felinae lineage, which encompasses the rest of the world's wild cats.
The Felinae family continued to diversify until approximately 1 to 3 million years ago. During this period, the lineage branched out to produce modern species including the Caracal, Ocelot, Lynx, Puma, and the Domestic Cat.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: All 40 Species of Wild Cat (Organised by Lineage)
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