Everything about Panthera totally explained
Panthera is a
genus of the
family Felidae (the cats), which contains four well-known living
species: the
Lion, the
Tiger, the
Jaguar, and the
Leopard. The genus comprises about half of the
Pantherinae subfamily, the
big cats. One meaning of the word
panther is to designate cats of this subfamily. The word is often presumed to derive from Greek
pan- ("all") and
ther ("beast"), but this may be a
folk etymology. Although it came into English through the classical languages,
panthera is probably of
East Asian origin, meaning "the yellowish animal," or "whitish-yellow".
Only these four cat species have the anatomical changes enabling them to . The primary reason for this was assumed to be the incomplete
ossification of the
hyoid bone. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other
morphological features, especially of the
larynx. The
Snow Leopard,
Uncia uncia, which is sometimes included within
Panthera, doesn't roar. Although it has an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, it lacks the special morphology of the larynx.
Evolution
Like much of the
Felidae family,
Panthera has been subject to much debate and taxonomic revision. At the base of the genus is probably the extinct felid
Viretailurus schaubi, which is sometimes also regarded as an early member of the
Puma group.
Panthera has likely derived in Asia, but the definite roots of the genus remain unclear. The divergence of the
Pantherine cats (including the living genera
Panthera,
Uncia and
Neofelis) from the
Felinae (including all other living cat species) has been ranked between six and ten
Ma. The fossil record points to the emergence of
Panthera just 2 to 3.8 million years ago.
Morphological and genetic studies have suggested that the tiger was the first of the recent
Panthera species to emerge from the lineage, but this remains unresolved. The Snow Leopard was seen originally at the base of the
Panthera, but newer molecular studies suggest, that it's nestled within
Panthera, and may be even a sister species of the Leopard. or be moved to
Panthera uncia.
Species, subspecies, and populations
There have been many subspecies of all four
Panthera species suggested; however, many of the Leopard and Lion subspecies are questionable. Recently it has been proposed that all sub-saharan populations of Leopards are all the same Leopard subspecies, and all sub-saharan populations of Lions likewise belong to the same Lion subspecies, as they don't have sufficient genetic distinction between them. Some prehistoric Lion subspecies have been described from historical evidence and fossils. They may have been separate species.
The '
Black panther' isn't a distinct species but is just the common name for black (melanistic) specimens of the genus, most often encountered in Jaguar and Leopard species.
Taxa
(
Extinct species and subspecies are indicated with the symbol †)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Panthera'.
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