Evolutionary background for Prionailurus viverrinus
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Prionailurus
Species: Prionailurus viverrinus
Common name: Fishing cat
Evidence
The Fishing cat belongs to the class Mammalia (meaning the class of animals that are covered with hair and give their offsprings breast milk). The order that the species belongs to is Carnivora, which means that they eat meat. The family is Felidae, meaning that the fishing cat belongs to one out three groups within the family categorization which is the grouping of smaller cats. Finally, each genus (Prionailurus) contains individual species (Prionailurus viverrinus) of cats that normally breeds and produces fertile offsprings.
Through evolution
About 200 million years ago the earliest ancestors of cats evolved from reptiles. Archeological evidence of cats are few, however there are some dental similarities between cats and creodonts, a primitive fish-eating mammal that lived about 50 million years ago (the images underneath are showing a Fishing cat’s jaw (bottom image) and on top, a 3-D construction of a creodont’s maxilla and mandible). There are no direct decendants from the creodonts living today after they failed to survive. Another group of mammals that had similar teeth was the Miacids. They evolved into the carnivores that exists today, including the Fishing cat.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Prionailurus
Species: Prionailurus viverrinus
Common name: Fishing cat
Evidence
The Fishing cat belongs to the class Mammalia (meaning the class of animals that are covered with hair and give their offsprings breast milk). The order that the species belongs to is Carnivora, which means that they eat meat. The family is Felidae, meaning that the fishing cat belongs to one out three groups within the family categorization which is the grouping of smaller cats. Finally, each genus (Prionailurus) contains individual species (Prionailurus viverrinus) of cats that normally breeds and produces fertile offsprings.
Through evolution
About 200 million years ago the earliest ancestors of cats evolved from reptiles. Archeological evidence of cats are few, however there are some dental similarities between cats and creodonts, a primitive fish-eating mammal that lived about 50 million years ago (the images underneath are showing a Fishing cat’s jaw (bottom image) and on top, a 3-D construction of a creodont’s maxilla and mandible). There are no direct decendants from the creodonts living today after they failed to survive. Another group of mammals that had similar teeth was the Miacids. They evolved into the carnivores that exists today, including the Fishing cat.
Image of a Miacid and its mandible
Relatives
The fishing cat’s closets relatives are the Leopard cat (top)(Prionailurus bengalensis) (top image), Rusty spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginous) (middle image) and Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps)(bottom image). These cats all lives in the same region as the Fishing cat, and they share the same rural habitat, diet and they do not mind the water. The Leopard cat is the only one who’s species that does not have the status as endangered or vulnerable.
The fishing cat’s closets relatives are the Leopard cat (top)(Prionailurus bengalensis) (top image), Rusty spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginous) (middle image) and Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps)(bottom image). These cats all lives in the same region as the Fishing cat, and they share the same rural habitat, diet and they do not mind the water. The Leopard cat is the only one who’s species that does not have the status as endangered or vulnerable.
Sources
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/18150/0
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=fishing+cat
http://www.provet.co.uk/cats/evolution%20of%20the%20cat.htm
Images
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/11/velvet_claw_part_ii.php
http://www.fishingcatproject.info/en/ecology
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/18150/0
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=fishing+cat
http://www.provet.co.uk/cats/evolution%20of%20the%20cat.htm
Images
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/11/velvet_claw_part_ii.php
http://www.fishingcatproject.info/en/ecology
