Felidae is a family of mammals, in the order Carnivora. Animals that belong to Felidae are called felids.

The family is of quite recent origin: the first fossils are from the Oligocene, 25 million years ago (mya). There are 41 living species, including the domestic cat, and they are monophyletic: all descended from the same ancestor.

Characteristics 
Felids tend to have lithe and flexible bodies with muscular limbs. In most species, the tail is a third or a half the length of the body, with some exceptions (the bobcat and margay). The limbs are digitigrade, meaning they walk on their toes. The paws have three soft toe pads and retractible claws (usually). The tongue of felids is covered with horny papillae, which rasp meat from prey and aid in grooming.

Classification 

The Felidae has three subfamilies:
 †Machairodontinae: sabre-toothed cats.
 Pantherinae: large cats tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard
 Felinae: cougar, cheetah and smaller cats

More examples of felines are the big cats – the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, clouded leopard, puma, and cheetah - and other wild cats, for example the lynx, caracal, and bobcat. All felines, also the small pet cat, are predators that can hunt many animals.

Evolution
The felids evolved in Asia and spread across continents by crossing land bridges. DNA sequence analysis shows that ancient cats evolved into eight main lines. There were at least 10 migrations (in both directions) from continent to continent via the Bering land bridge and Isthmus of Panama. The Panthera genus is the oldest and the Felis genus is the youngest. 60 percent of the modern species of cats developed within the last million years.

The felids' closest relatives are the linsangs, and at one remove the group of civets, hyenas, mongooses, and Madagascar carnivores, with whom they share the Suborder Feliformia. All felid species share a genetic anomaly that prevents them from tasting sweetness.

Genetic classification
Genetic research has provided a basis for a more concise classification for the living members of the cat family based on genotypical groupings.  Specifically, eight genetic lineages have been identified:
 Lineage 1: Panthera, Uncia, Neofelis
 Lineage 2: Pardofelis, Catopuma
 Lineage 3: Leptailurus, Caracal, Profelis
 Lineage 4: Leopardus
 Lineage 5: Lynx
 Lineage 6: Puma, Acinonyx
 Lineage 7: Prionailurus, Otocolobus
 Lineage 8: Felis

The last four lineages (5, 6, 7, 8) are more related to each other than to any of the first four (1, 2, 3, 4), and so form a clade within the Felinae subfamily of family Felidae.

Taxonomy
 Subfamily Felinae
 Genus Acinonyx
 Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
 Genus Caracal
 Caracal, Caracal caracal
 Genus Catopuma
 Bay cat, Catopuma badia
 Asian golden cat, Catopuma temminckii
 Genus Felis
 Chinese mountain cat, Felis bieti
 Jungle cat, Felis chaus
 Pallas' cat / Manul, Felis manul
 Sand cat, Felis margarita
 Black-footed cat, Felis nigripes
 Wildcat, Felis silvestris
 Domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus
 Genus Leopardus
 Pantanal cat, Leopardus braccatus
 Colocolo, Leopardus colocolo
 Pampas cat, Leopardus pajeros
 Geoffroy's cat, Leopardus geoffroyi
 Kodkod, Leopardus guigna
 Andean mountain cat, Leopardus jacobitus
 Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis
 Oncilla, Leopardus tigrinus
 Margay, Leopardus wiedii
 Genus Leptailurus
 Serval, Leptailurus serval
 Genus Lynx
 Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis
 Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx
 Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus
 Bobcat, Lynx rufus
 Genus Pardofelis
 Marbled cat, Pardofelis marmorata
 Genus Prionailurus
 Leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis
 Iriomote cat, Prionailurus iriomotensis
 Flat-headed cat, Prionailurus planiceps
 Rusty-spotted cat, Prionailurus rubiginosus
 Fishing cat, Prionailurus viverrinus
 Genus Profelis
 African golden cat, Profelis aurata
 Genus Puma
 Puma, Puma concolor
 Subfamily Pantherinae
 Genus Neofelis
 Clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa
 Sunda clouded leopard, Neofelis diardi
 Genus Panthera
 Lion, Panthera leo
 Jaguar, Panthera onca
 Leopard, Panthera pardus
 Tiger, Panthera tigris
 Genus Uncia
 Snow leopard, Uncia uncia

Related pages
 Smilodon

References