| Pantherinae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Panthera leo atrox | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Type species | |
| Panthera pardus Linneaus, 1758 | |
| Genera | |
| |
Pantherinae is a subfamily of felids that first appeared in the Miocene epoch and still exist to this day. This subfamily is decently large, and descends from the clade Feliformia. Members of this clade are named panthers, or sometimes known as Big Cats. Currently, there are 7 extant species and even more extinct species in the family. The type genus is Panthera, but 4 other genera are also included in the clade. The most famous pantherines include the extant African Lion (Panthera leo) and Tiger (Panthera tigris).
Classification[]
The subfamily Pantherinae is housed in the family Felidae in the suborder Feliformia, which is a clade of carnivoran mammals. The closest living relative of Pantherinae would be the basal felines such as the serval (Leptailurus serval) and caracal (Caracal), but the closest relative in general is considered Miopanthera, a basal taxon not housed in any subfamily.
Description[]
Despite being nicknamed "Big Cats", size is not what determines classification in Pantherinae as opposed to Felinae. Cats like the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) are classified as pantherines despite being smaller than the largest feline, the cougar (Puma concolor). The main trait shown in pantherines that distinguishes them is the presence of a more derived vocal system that allows for roaring.
Genera Included[]
There are 4 confirmed genera housed in the subfamily of Pantherinae, two of which are completely extinct.
- †Leontoceryx: includes single species, L. bessarabiae, from the late Miocene epoch of central Europe. Relatively little known, based on two fragmentary specimens.
- †Pachypanthera: includes single species, Pachypanthera piriyai, from Miocene rock in Thailand described in 2023.
- Neofelis: includes two species, N. nebulosa (type) and N. diardi, known collectively as the clouded leopard.
- Panthera: Includes 5 extant and 11 extinct known species and is by far the most diverse of the pantherines. Each species will be listed below along with their respective subspecies.
- Panthera leo (African Lion)
- P. leo leo (Northern Lion). Includes the famous population of Barbary Lions.
- P. leo melanochaita. Includes Cape Lion.
- †P. leo sinhaleyus. Known from single tooth from Sri Lanka.
- Panthera tigris (Tiger)
- P. tigris tigris. Includes the popular Bengal Tigers, Siberian Tigers, and the extinct population of Caspian Tiger.
- P. tigris sondaica. (Sunda Island tiger) Includes Sumatran Tiger and the extinct Bali and Javan Tigers.
- †P. tigris acutidens (Wanhsien tiger). Extinct Chinese tiger subspecies that died out approximately 500,000 years ago.
- †P. tigris trinilensis (Trinil tiger). Extinct subspecies found in Indonesia, found to be distinct from both Bali and Javan tigers.
- †P. tigris soloensis (Ngandong tiger). Extinct Indonesian subspecies of tiger that lived during the Pleistocene.
- Panthera pardus (Leopard) (Type species of Panthera)
- P. pardus pardus (African leopard)
- P. pardus melas (Javan leopard)
- P. pardus orientalis (Amur leopard)
- P. pardus tulliana
- P. pardus fusca (Indian leopard)
- P. pardus delacouri (Indochinese leopard)
- P. pardus kotiya (Sri Lankan leopard)
- P. pardus nimr (Arabian leopard)
- †P. pardus spelaea (European Ice Age leopard). European subspecies closely related to the Asian subspecies. Went extinct in late Pleistocene to potentially Holocene.
- Panthera onca (Jaguar)
- †P. onca augusta. North American subspecies of Jaguar from Pleistocene.
- †P. onca mesembrina. Extinct subspecies from South America.
- Panthera uncia (Snow Leopard)
- †Panthera blytheae. Tibetan species and considered the oldest species of Panthera, appearing nearly 6 million years ago and dying out 4 million years ago. Closest living relative is the snow leopard.
- †Panthera palaeosinensis. Chinese pantherine basal to the genus. Originally believed to be an ancestor to P. tigris.
- †Panthera zdanskyi (Longdan tiger). Chinese pantherine younger than P. palaeosinensis, and closest to the living tiger, where its misnomer common name comes from.
- †Panthera youngi. Pleistocene species found in China and Japan discovered alongside beds with Homo erectus.
- †Panthera atrox (American Lion or American Cave Lion). A very large North American pantherine with some dubious specimens found in South America.
- †Panthera balamoides. Based on a single specimen dated to the late Pleistocene of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Potentially a synonym of the bear Arctotherium.
- †Panthera gombazoegensis (European jaguar). Debated to be a subspecies of P. onca.
- †Panthera fossilis. Eurasian species and considered an ancestral species to P. spelaea.
- †Panthera spelaea (Cave Lion or Steppe Lion). Very successful Eurasian and North American species that was a sister species to P. leo. Went extinct approximately 13,000 years ago.
- †P. s. vereshchagini.
- †P. s. spelaea.
- Panthera leo (African Lion)