Carnivora Fossil range: Paleocene to Recent
American Badger
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Carnivora Bowdich, 1821
Families
17, See classification

The diverse order Carnivora (IPA: /kɑrˈnɪvərə/ or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/; from Latin carō (stem carn-) "flesh", + vorāre "to devour") includes over 260 species of placental mammals. The Paleocene or Palaeocene, "early dawn of the recent" is a geologic epoch that lasted from 65 The American Badger, Taxidea taxus, is a North American Badger, somewhat similar in appearance to the European Badger. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands See also Evolution of mammals Eutheria ("true beast" are a group of Mammals consisting of Placental mammals plus all extinct Mammals Laurasiatheria is a Clade of rank Cohort or super-order within the Placentalia (living or Eutheria (Placentals and their extinct ancestors Thomas Edward Bowdich ( 1790 - 10 January 1824) was an English traveller and Author. In Biological classification, family ( Latin This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. See also Evolution of mammals Eutheria ("true beast" are a group of Mammals consisting of Placental mammals plus all extinct Mammals Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word "carnivore" (often popularly applied to members of this group) can refer to any meat-eating animal. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting Carnivorans are the most diverse in size of any mammalian order, ranging from the Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis), at as little as 25 grams and 11 cm (4. The Least Weasel ( Mustela nivalis) is the smallest member of the Genus Mustela, and indeed in the entire order 3 in), to the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) which can weigh up to 1000 kg (2200 lb) and the Brown Bear at up to 1140 kg (2500 lb), to the Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) whose adult males weigh up to 5000 kg (11,000 lb) and measure up to 6. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas The Brown Bear ( Ursus arctos) is an Omnivorous Mammal of the family Ursidae, distributed across much of northern Eurasia and The Southern Elephant Seal ( Mirounga leonina) is one of two Species of Elephant seal. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass 9 m (22. 5 ft) in length. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit

The first carnivoran was a carnivore, and nearly all carnivorans today primarily eat meat. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting Some, such as cats, pinnipeds, and weasels, are almost completely carnivorous. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising Weasels are Mammals in the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. Others, such as bears, are more omnivorous, although the Polar Bear is predominantly carnivorous, with 90% of its diet consisting of seals. Omnivores (from Latin omne all everything vorare to devour are species that eat both Plants and Animals as their primary Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising ^[1][2] The Giant Panda is almost exclusively an herbivore but occasionally eats fish, eggs and insects. The Giant Panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca, "black-and-white cat-foot" is a Mammal classified in the Bear family ( Ursidae) native to Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described

Carnivorans have teeth and claws adapted for catching and eating other animals. Their eyes point forward. Many carnivorans hunt in packs and are social animals. A social animal is a loosely defined term for an Organism that is highly interactive with other members of its Species to the point of having a recognizable

Carnivorans apparently evolved in North America out of members of the family Miacidae (miacids) c 42 million years ago. The miacids (Miacidae were primitive Carnivores which lived during the Paleocene and Eocene Epoch about 65 - 33 million years ago They soon split into cat-like and dog-like forms (feliformia and caniformia). The Feliformia ('cat-like' carnivores also Feloidea are a suborder within the order Carnivora and includes the 'true-cats' (large and small Hyenas, Mongooses Caniformia, or Canoidea (literally " dog-like " are a Suborder within the order Carnivora.

Contents 1 Distinguishing features 1.1 Skull structure 1.2 Physiology 1.3 Diet specializations 1.4 Reproductive system 2 Phylogeny 3 Classification 3.1 Phylogenetic Tree 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Distinguishing features

Carnivorans are primarily terrestrial and usually have strong sharp claws, with never less than four toes to each foot, and well-developed prominent canine teeth and cheek teeth (premolars and molars) that generally have cutting edges. Terrestrial animals are Animals that live predominantly or entirely on land as compared with Aquatic animals which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e A claw is a curved pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most Mammals, Birds, and some Reptiles. "Cuspid" redirects here For the heart valves see Bicuspid valve and Tricuspid valve. Cheeks ( Latin: buccae) constitute the area of the Face below the Eyes and between the Nose and the left or right Ear Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of Tooth in most Mammals In many mammals they grind food hence the Latin name mola, " Millstone The last premolar of the upper jaw and first molar of the lower are termed the carnassials or sectorial teeth. Carnassials are large teeth found in many Carnivorous Mammals, used for shearing flesh and bone in a Scissor or Shear -like way These are blade-like teeth that occlude (close) with a scissor-like action for shearing and shredding meat. Carnassials are most highly developed in the Felidae and the least developed in the Ursidae. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. Carnivorans have six incisors and two conical canines in each jaw. Incisors (from Latin incidere, "to cut" are the first kind of Tooth in Heterodont Mammals They are located in the Premaxilla A cone is a three-dimensional Geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat round base to a point called the apex or vertex The only two exceptions to this are the Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris), which has four incisors in the lower jaw, and the Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), which has four incisors in the upper jaw. The sea otter ( Enhydra lutris) is a Marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. The Sloth Bear ( Melursus ursinus) also known as the Lip Bear, Though originally classed as a "bear sloth" due to the shape of its claws The number of molars and premolars is variable between carnivoran species, but all teeth are deeply rooted and are diphyodont. Diphyodont is the process of replacing teeth characteristic to mammals having two successive sets of teeth Incisors are retained by carnivorans and the third incisor is commonly large and sharp (canine-like). Carnivorans have either four or five digits on each foot, with the first digit on the forepaws, also known as the dew claw, being vestigial in most species and absent in some. A dewclaw is a vestigial digit of the Foot of many Mammals Birds and Reptiles (including some extinct orders like certain Vestigiality describes homologous characters of Organisms which have lost all or most of their original function in a species through

The Canoidea superfamily – Canidae (dogs), Mephitidae (skunks and stink badgers) Mustelidae (weasels), Procyonidae (raccoons), Ursidae (bears), Otariidae (eared seals), Odobenidae (Walrus), and Phocidae (earless seals) (the last three families formally classified in the suborder Pinnipedia) and the extinct family Amphicyonidae (bear-dogs) - are characterized by having a non-chambered or partially chambered auditory bullae, non-retractable claws, and well-developed baculum. Caniformia, or Canoidea (literally " dog-like " are a Suborder within the order Carnivora. The Canidae (ˈkænədiː ′kanə′dē family is a part of the order Carnivora within the Mammals (Class Mammalia Skunks (sometimes referred to as polecats) are Mammals best known for their ability to excrete a strong foul-smelling odor. Mustelidae or Mustelids (from Latin mustela, Weasel) commonly referred to as the weasel family, is a family of carnivorous Mammals Procyonidae is a New World family of the order Carnivora. It includes the raccoons Coatis Kinkajous Olingos The eared seals or otariids are Marine mammals in the family Otariidae - one of three groupings of Pinnipeds. The walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flippered Marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of Mammals within the seal Suborder, Pinnipedia. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising The baculum (also penis bone, penile bone or os penis) is a Bone found in the Penis of most Mammals It is absent Most species are rather simply colored, lacking the flashy spotted or rosetted coats of like many species of felids and viverrids have. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. The family Viverridae is made up of 35 species including all of the genets, the Binturong, most of the Civets and the four Linsangs This is because Canoidea tend to range in the temperate and subarctic biomes, although Mustelidae and Procyonidae have a few tropical species. Most are terrestrial, although a few species, like procyonids, are arboreal. All families except the Canidae and a few species of Mustelidae are plantigrade. Diet is varied and most tend to be omnivorous to some degree and thus the carnassial teeth are less specialized. Canoidea have more premolars and molars in an elongated skull.

The Feloidea superfamily – Felidae (cats), Herpestidae (mongooses), Hyaenidae (hyenas), Viverridae (civets), and Eupleridae (Malagasy carnivores), as well as the extinct family Nimravidae (paleofelids) – often have spotted, rosetted or striped coats, and tend to be more brilliantly colored than their Canoidean counterparts. The Feliformia ('cat-like' carnivores also Feloidea are a suborder within the order Carnivora and includes the 'true-cats' (large and small Hyenas, Mongooses Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small The Hyaenidae is a Mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family native to both African and Asian continents consists of four The family Viverridae is made up of 35 species including all of the genets, the Binturong, most of the Civets and the four Linsangs The family Eupleridae is a group of Carnivorans endemic to Madagascar and comprising 8 known Species in 7 genera. The Nimravidae, sometimes known as false sabre-tooths, are an Extinct family of Mammalian carnivores. This is due to the fact that these species tend to range in tropical habitats, although a few species do inhabit temperate and subarctic habitats. Many are arboreal or semi-arboreal, and the majority are digitigrade. Diet tends to be more strictly carnivorous, especially in the Felidae family. They have fewer teeth and shorter skulls, with much more specialized carnassials meant for shearing meat. Felidae claws are retractile. The terminal phalange with the claw attached folds back in the fore-foot into a sheath by the outer side of the middle phalange of the digit, and is retained in this position when at rest by a strong elastic ligament. In the hind-foot the terminal joint or phalange is retracted on to the top, and not the side of the middle phalange. Deep flexor muscles straighten the terminal phalanges so that the claws protrude from their sheath, and the soft "velvety" paw becomes suddenly converted into a formidable weapon of offence. The habitual retraction of the claws preserves their points from wear.

The Pinnipedia superfamily (walruses, seals, and sea lions) are medium to large (to 6. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising 5 m) aquatic mammals. Pinnipeds are marine Carnivora and therefore need to have a relatively large body to retain heat. They need a low surface area to body mass ratio to minimize heat loss due to conduction because water conducts heat well. The body is usually insulated with a thick layer of fat called blubber and usually covered with hair. Blubber is a thick layer of vascularized Fat found under the skin of all Cetaceans Pinnipeds and Sirenians Description The digits are not separate, but connected by a thick web that forms flippers for swimming; thus the forelimbs and hindlimbs are transformed into paddles. This enables them to dive at extreme depths (600 meters for the Weddell Seal) and they can remain underwater for long periods of time, sometimes over an hour or more, but most dives are usually short. The Weddell Seal ( Leptonychotes weddellii) is a True seal that occurs in large numbers and inhabit the circumpolar region of the Southern hemisphere, including The facial region of skull is relatively small, with pinnae very small or lacking and the vibrissae is well developed. The pinna ( Latin for Feather) is the visible part of the Ear that resides outside of the head (this may also be referred to as the auricle or The molariform teeth are mostly homodont and the canines are well developed. The anatomical term heterodont (from Greek, meaning 'different teeth' refers to Animals which possess more than a single tooth morphology. The tail is very short or absent, the ears are small or absent as well, and the external genitalia are hidden in slits or depressions in the body. A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute

Skull structure

Members of Carnivora have a characteristic skull shape with relatively large brains encased in a heavy skull. The skull has a highly developed zygomatic arch just behind the maxilla (common to all mammals and their cynodont forebears), and they have ossified external auditory bullae. The zygomatic arch is formed by the Zygomatic process of temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the Skull, over the opening of the ear and the temporal This article is about the Mammal maxilla For Arthropod maxillae see Mouthparts; for Insect maxillae in particular see Insect mouthparts Cynodonts, or 'dog teeth' are a taxon of Therapsids which includes modern mammals and their extinct close relatives Ossification is the process of Bone formation in which connective tissues such as Cartilage are turned to bone or bone-like tissue Feloidea have a two-chambered auditory bullae. In addition to allowing extra room for the passage of muscles to work the lower jaw, the zygomatic arch also allows for differentiation of separate muscle groups to be involved in biting and chewing. Masseters attach from the dentary (specifically, the masseteric fossa) to the zygomatic arch and onto the maxilla in front of the arch, providing crushing force. The temporalis attaches from the dentary (specifically, the coronoid process) to the side of the braincase, providing torque about the axis of jaw articulation. The temporalis muscle is one of the muscles of mastication. Structure It arises from the Temporal fossa and the deep part of Temporal fascia In comparing the skulls of carnivores and herbivores, it can be seen that the shearing force of the temporalis is somewhat more important to carnivores, which have more room on the braincase (this is not unrelated to carnivoran intelligence) and commonly develop a sagittal crest (running from posterior to anterior on the skull) providing yet additional room for temporalis attachment. A sagittal crest is a ridge of bone running lengthwise along the midline of the top of the Skull (at the Sagittal suture) of many Carnivoran jaws can only move on a vertical axis, in an up-and-down motion, and cannot move from side-to-side. The jaw joint in carnivores tends to lie within the plane of tooth occlusion; an arrangement that further emphasizes shearing (as in a pair of scissors). In herbivores, the crushing force of the masseters is relatively more important than is shearing. The jaw joint is generally well above the plane of tooth occlusion, allowing extra room for masseteric attachment on the dentary and causing the rotation of the lower jaw to be translated into straight-ahead crushing force between the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.

Physiology

Carnivora have a simple stomach designed to digest primarily meat, as compared to the elaborate digestive systems of herbivorous animals which are necessary to break down tough, complex plant fibers. The caecum is either absent or short and simple, and the colon is not sacculated or much wider than the small intestine. The cecum or caecum (from the Latin caecus meaning Blind) is a pouch connected to the Ascending colon of the Large Most species of Carnivora are, to some degree, omnivorous, except the Felidae, which are obligate carnivores. Most have highly-developed senses, especially vision and hearing, and often a highly acute sense of smell in many species, such as in the Canoidea. They are excellent runners: some long-distance runners, but more commonly sprinters. Even bears and raccoons, although seemingly slow and clumsy, are capable of remarkable bursts of speed.

Diet specializations

Carnivorans include carnivores, omnivores, and even a few primarily herbivorous species, such as the Giant Panda. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting Omnivores (from Latin omne all everything vorare to devour are species that eat both Plants and Animals as their primary Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell The Giant Panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca, "black-and-white cat-foot" is a Mammal classified in the Bear family ( Ursidae) native to Important teeth for carnivorans are the large, slightly recurved canines, used to dispatch prey, and the carnassial complex, used to rend meat from bone and slice it into digestible pieces. Dogs have molar teeth behind the carnassials for crushing bones, but cats have only a greatly reduced, functionless molar behind the carnassial in the upper jaw. Cats will strip bones clean but will not crush them to get the marrow inside. Omnivores, such as bears and raccoons, have developed blunt, molar-like carnassials. Carnassials are a key adaptation for terrestrial vertebrate predation; all other placental orders are primarily herbivores, insectivores, or aquatic.

Reproductive system

Carnivora tend to produce a single litter annually, but some produce multiple litters a year, and larger carnivores like bears have gaps of 2-3 years between litters. The average gestation period lies between 50-115 days, although the ursids and mustelids have delayed implantation, thus extending the gestation period 6-9 months beyond the normal period. Gestation is the carrying of an Embryo or Fetus inside a Female Viviparous Animal. Litter sizes are usually small, ranging from 1-13 young, which are born with underdeveloped eyes and ears. In most species, the mother has exclusive or at least primary care of the offspring. Many species of carnivores are solitary, but a few are gregarious. Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more beings

Phylogeny

Carnivorans evolved out of members of the family Miacidae (miacids). The miacids (Miacidae were primitive Carnivores which lived during the Paleocene and Eocene Epoch about 65 - 33 million years ago The transition from Miacidae to Carnivora was a general trend in the middle and late Eocene with taxa from both North America and Eurasia involved. The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in The divergence of carnivorans from other miacids, as well as the divergence of the two clades within Carnivora, Caniformia and Feliformia, is now inferred to have happened in the middle Eocene (ca. A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor Caniformia, or Canoidea (literally " dog-like " are a Suborder within the order Carnivora. The Feliformia ('cat-like' carnivores also Feloidea are a suborder within the order Carnivora and includes the 'true-cats' (large and small Hyenas, Mongooses The Eocene epoch (558 ± 02 - 339 ± 01 Ma) is a major division of the Geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Palaeogene period in 42 million years ago). Traditionally the Viverravidae (viverravids) had been thought to be the earliest carnivorans with fossil records first appearing in the Paleocene of North America about 60 million years ago, but recently described evidence from cranial morphology now places them outside the order Carnivora. Miacoidea is an extinct Paraphyletic superfamily that has been traditionally divided into two families of Carnivores: Miacidae The Paleocene or Palaeocene, "early dawn of the recent" is a geologic epoch that lasted from 65 The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism ^[3] Traditionally, some paleontologists considered the viverravids to be ancestral to the aeluroid carnivorans (felids, hyaenids, herpestids and viverrids), but this is now doubted. Palaeontology redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Palaeontology (journal. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. The Hyaenidae is a Mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family native to both African and Asian continents consists of four The Feliformia ('cat-like' carnivores also Feloidea are a suborder within the order Carnivora and includes the 'true-cats' (large and small Hyenas, Mongooses The family Viverridae is made up of 35 species including all of the genets, the Binturong, most of the Civets and the four Linsangs

The Miacidae is not a monophyletic group, but a paraphyletic array of stem taxa. A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor In Phylogenetics, a group of organisms is said to be paraphyletic if the group contains its most recent common ancestor but does not contain all Traditionally, the Miacidae and the Viverravidae had been classified in a third, extinct paraphyletic superfamily, the Miacoidea, from which the direct ancestors of both Carnivora and Creodonta were thought to have arisen. Miacoidea is an extinct Paraphyletic superfamily that has been traditionally divided into two families of Carnivores: Miacidae The creodonts are an Extinct order of Mammals that lived from the Paleocene to the Miocene epochs Today Carnivora is restricted to the crown group, and Carnivora and miacoids are grouped together in the clade Carnivoramorpha, and the miacoids are regarded as basal carnivoramorphs. The Crown Group is a Catering and event caterer in the United Kingdom. Miacoidea is an extinct Paraphyletic superfamily that has been traditionally divided into two families of Carnivores: Miacidae Carnivoramorpha are a Clade of Mammals that includes the modern order Carnivora and its closest extinct relatives in the Miacoidea ( Based on dental features and braincase sizes, it is now known that Carnivora must have evolved from a form even more primitive than Creodonta and thus these two orders may not even be sister groups. ^[4] The Carnivora, Creodonta, Pholidota, and a few other extinct orders are informally grouped together in the clade Ferae. Ferae is a Clade of Mammals consisting of the orders Carnivora (over 260 species across the globe and Pholidota (8 species of pangolin Older classification schemes divided the order into two suborders: Fissipedia (which included the families of primarily land Carnivora) and Pinnipedia (which included the true seals, eared seals, and Walrus). Fissipedia is a former biological Suborder comprising the largely land-based families of the order Carnivora. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of Mammals within the seal Suborder, Pinnipedia. The eared seals or otariids are Marine mammals in the family Otariidae - one of three groupings of Pinnipeds. The walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flippered Marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and However, it is now recognized that the Fissipedia is a paraphyletic group and that the pinnipeds were not the sister group to the fissipeds but rather had arisen from among them.

Carnivora are generally divided into the suborders Feliformia (cat-like) and Caniformia (dog-like), the latter of which includes the pinnipeds. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising The pinnipeds are part of a clade, known as the Arctoidea, which also includes the Ursidae (bears) and the superfamily Musteloidea. The diverse order Carnivora (kɑrˈnɪvərə or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/ from Latin carō (stem carn-) "flesh" + vorāre The Musteloidea in turn consists of the Mustelidae (mustelids: weasels), Procyonidae (procyonids: raccoons), Mephitidae (skunks) and Ailurus. Mustelidae or Mustelids (from Latin mustela, Weasel) commonly referred to as the weasel family, is a family of carnivorous Mammals Procyonidae is a New World family of the order Carnivora. It includes the raccoons Coatis Kinkajous Olingos Skunks (sometimes referred to as polecats) are Mammals best known for their ability to excrete a strong foul-smelling odor. The Red Panda, Firefox, Fire Cat, or Lesser Panda, "or Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat" is a mostly herbivorous Mammal The oldest caniforms are the Miacis species Miacis cognitus, the Amphicyonidae (Bear-dogs) such as Daphoenus, and Hesperocyon (of the family Canidae, subfamily Hesperocyoninae). Miacis is an extinct genus of Mammals that appeared in the late Paleocene (ca Daphoenus is an extinct genus of North American Carnivorous Mammals that lived during the Eocene to late Oligocene approximately Hesperocyon is an extinct genus of Canids (family Canidae, subfamily Hesperocyoninae) and the most early of the canids to evolve after the Hesperocyonine canids first appeared in North America and the earliest species is currently dated at 39. The Canidae (ˈkænədiː ′kanə′dē family is a part of the order Carnivora within the Mammals (Class Mammalia 74 Ma, but they were not represented in Europe until well into the Miocene, and not into Asia and Africa until the Pliocene. The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends Miacis and Amphicyonidae were the first of the caniforms to split from the others and are sometimes considered to be sister groups to Ursidae, but the exact closeness of Amphicyonidae and Ursidae, as well as Arctoidae to Ursidae, is still uncertain. The Canidae (wolves, coyotes, jackals, foxes and dogs) are generally considered to be the sister group to Arctoidea. The Canidae (ˈkænədiː ′kanə′dē family is a part of the order Carnivora within the Mammals (Class Mammalia The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora A jackal (from Turkish çakal, via Persian shaghal ultimately from Sanskrit sṛgālaḥ) is a member of any of three A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order ^[4][5][6] The Ursidae first occur in North America in the Late Eocene (ca. 38 million years ago) as the very small and graceful Parictis that had a skull only 7 cm long. Parictis is the earliest genus of Bear known It was a very small and graceful ursid with a skull only 7 cm long Like the canids, this family does not appear in Eurasia and Africa until the Miocene. For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. The other caniform families Amphicyonidae, Mustelidae and Procyonidae occur in both the Old World and the New World by the Late Eocene and Early Oligocene. The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene period and extends from about 33 ^[4]

The ancestor of all Feliformia evolved from the Caniformia-Feliformia split but the exact position of the Felidae, especially some extinct Felidae, in relation to the other families is somewhat disputed. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. Nandinia, the African Palm Civet, seems to be the most primitive of all the feliforms and the very first to split from the others. The African Palm Civet ( Nandinia binotata) also known as the Two-spotted Palm Civet, is a small Mammal, with short legs small ears a body resembling The Asiatic linsangs of the genus Prionodon (traditionally placed in the Viverridae) might form a family of their own as well, as some recent studies indicate that Prionodon is actually the closest living relative to the cats. The Asiatic linsangs are two species classified in the mammalian subfamily Prionodontinae, in the family Viverridae. The Nimravidae are sometimes seen as the most basal of all feliforms and the first to split from the others, but there is a possibility that Nimravidae might not even be Carnivora. The Nimravidae, sometimes known as false sabre-tooths, are an Extinct family of Mammalian carnivores. ^[6] Its position as a Carnivora is currently unstable. Other studies indicate that Barbourofelids forms a separate family, which is closely related to the true felids instead of being related to the Nimravids. Barbourofelidae is an Extinct family of Mammalian carnivores. Recognizable Nimravid fossils date from the late Eocene (37 mya), from the Chadronian White River Carnivora Formation at Flagstaff Rim, Wyoming. Nimravid diversity appears to have peaked about 28 mya. The hypercarnivorous (strictly meat-eating) nimravid feliforms were extinct in North America after 26 mya and felids did not arrive in North America until the early middle Miocene (16 mya). A hypercarnivore is an animal that exclusively eats meat and nothing else

It has been suggested that canids evolved hypercarnivorous morphologies because feliforms were absent during this period (the "cat-gap," 26-16 mya), however recent data does not support this hypothesis. Hypercarnivore feliforms (felids and nimravids) occupied an area that canids did not and where felids, nimravids, and hypercarnivorous creodonts are found. Hypercarnivorous canids were present before the disappearance of the nimravids, and all went extinct before the appearance of felids. Following the extinction of nimravids, only three taxa originated, two of which were relatively small in body size. Disparity increased during the "cat-gap" even with the extinction of the hypercarnivorous extremes. This was due to the extinction of morphological intermediates, and because carnivorans began to occupy hypocarnivorous (non-meat-specialist) morphospace for the first time in North America. Procyonids did not arrive in North America until the early Miocene, and "modern" ursids (e. g. , Ursinae), did not arrive until the late Miocene. Extinct lineages of Ursidae were present in North America from the late Eocene through the Miocene and Amphicyonid (bear-dogs) were present during this period as well but occupied a morphospace generally shared with canids and not in close proximity to ursids. A large question remains as to why there was a progressive decline in hypercarnivorous carnivoramorphans during the late Oligocene/early Miocene. During this period all hypercarnivorous forms disappeared from the fossil record, including hypercarnivorous feliforms, canids, and mustelids. One possible explanation is climate change. Earth was gradually cooling after the late Paleocene, and over a period spanning the Eocene/Oligocene boundary there was a dramatic climatic cooling event occurred. ^[7]

A recent study finally resolves the exact position of Ailurus: the Red Panda is neither a procyonid nor an ursid, but forms a monotypic family with the other musteloids as its closest living relatives. The same study also shows that the mustelids are not a primitive family, as was once thought. Their small body size is a secondary trait — the primitive body form of the arctoids was large, not small. ^[5] Recent molecular studies also suggest that the endemic Carnivora of Madagascar, including three genera usually classed with the civets and four genera of mongooses classed with the Herpestidae, are all descended from a single ancestor. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The family Viverridae is made up of 35 species including all of the genets, the Binturong, most of the Civets and the four Linsangs A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small They form a single sister taxon to the Herpestidae. A taxon (plural taxa) or taxonomic unit, is a name designating an organism or a group of Organisms In Biological nomenclature according to The hyenas are also closely related to this clade. The Hyaenidae is a Mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family native to both African and Asian continents consists of four

Classification

• ORDER CARNIVORA
  • Suborder Feliformia ("cat-like")
    • Family †Stenoplesictidae
    • Family †Percrocutidae
    • Family †Nimravidae: false sabre-tooth cats (5–36 Ma)
    • Family Nandiniidae: African Palm Civet; 1 species in 1 genus
    • Superfamily Feloidea
      • Family Prinonodontidae: Asiatic linsangs; 2 species in 1 genus
      • Family †Barbourofelidae (6–18 Ma)
      • Family Felidae: cats; 40 species in 14 genera
    • Infraorder Viverroidea
      • Family Viverridae: civets and allies; 35 species in 15 genera
      • Superfamily Herpestoidea
        • Family Hyaenidae: hyenas and Aardwolf; 4 species in 4 genera
        • Family Eupleridae : Malagasy carnivores; 8 species in 7 genera
        • Family Herpestidae: mongooses and allies; 33 species in 14 genera
  • Suborder Caniformia ("dog-like")
    • Family †Amphicyonidae: bear-dogs (9–37 Ma)
    • Family Canidae: dogs and allies; 37 species in 10 genera
    • Infraorder Arctoidea
      • Superfamily Ursoidea
        • Family †Hemicyonidae: (2-22 Ma)
        • Family Ursidae: bears; 8 species in 5 genera
      • Superfamily Musteloidea
        • Family Ailuridae: Red Panda; 1 species in 1 genus. The Least Weasel ( Mustela nivalis) is the smallest member of the Genus Mustela, and indeed in the entire order The Southern Elephant Seal ( Mirounga leonina) is one of two Species of Elephant seal. The Brown Bear ( Ursus arctos) is an Omnivorous Mammal of the family Ursidae, distributed across much of northern Eurasia and The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas WikipediaManual of Style (spelling, articles should conform to one overall spelling style of English typically the one most linked to the article topic (if it is geographic The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals The Feliformia ('cat-like' carnivores also Feloidea are a suborder within the order Carnivora and includes the 'true-cats' (large and small Hyenas, Mongooses The Percrocutidae form an extinct family of hyena-like feliform carnivorans and that likely filled an equivalent Ecological niche. The Nimravidae, sometimes known as false sabre-tooths, are an Extinct family of Mammalian carnivores. The African Palm Civet ( Nandinia binotata) also known as the Two-spotted Palm Civet, is a small Mammal, with short legs small ears a body resembling The African Palm Civet ( Nandinia binotata) also known as the Two-spotted Palm Civet, is a small Mammal, with short legs small ears a body resembling The Feliformia ('cat-like' carnivores also Feloidea are a suborder within the order Carnivora and includes the 'true-cats' (large and small Hyenas, Mongooses The Asiatic linsangs are two species classified in the mammalian subfamily Prionodontinae, in the family Viverridae. The Asiatic linsangs are two species classified in the mammalian subfamily Prionodontinae, in the family Viverridae. Barbourofelidae is an Extinct family of Mammalian carnivores. Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. The family Viverridae is made up of 35 species including all of the genets, the Binturong, most of the Civets and the four Linsangs The family Viverridae is made up of 35 species including all of the genets, the Binturong, most of the Civets and the four Linsangs Civets are small lithe-bodied mostly arboreal Mammals native to the tropics of Africa and Asia The Hyaenidae is a Mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family native to both African and Asian continents consists of four The Hyaenidae is a Mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family native to both African and Asian continents consists of four The aardwolf ( Proteles cristatus) is a small insectivorous Hyena -like Mammal, native to Eastern and Southern Africa The family Eupleridae is a group of Carnivorans endemic to Madagascar and comprising 8 known Species in 7 genera. A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small Caniformia, or Canoidea (literally " dog-like " are a Suborder within the order Carnivora. The Canidae (ˈkænədiː ′kanə′dē family is a part of the order Carnivora within the Mammals (Class Mammalia The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Hemicyonidae is an extinct family of so-called "dog-bears" literally "Half Dog" ( Greek: /"hemi-kuôn" bear-like Carnivora. Musteloidea is a superfamily of Carnivoran Mammals united by shared characters of the skull and teeth Ailuridae is a family in the Mammal order Carnivora. The family includes the Red Panda (the sole living representative and its extinct The Red Panda, Firefox, Fire Cat, or Lesser Panda, "or Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat" is a mostly herbivorous Mammal
        • Family Mephitidae: skunks and stink badgers; 10 species in 4 genera
        • Family Mustelidae: weasels, martens, badgers, wolverines, minks, and otters; 55 species in 24 genera
        • Family Procyonidae: raccoons and allies; 19 species in 6 genera
      • Superfamily Pinnipedia
        • Family †Enaliarctidae: (23–20 Ma?)
        • Family Odobenidae: Walrus; 1 species in 1 genus
        • Family Otariidae: sea lions, eared seals, fur seals; 14 species in 7 genera
        • Family Phocidae: true seals; 19 species in 9 genera

Phylogenetic Tree

Carnivora	Feliformia Nimravidae† Stenoplesictidae† Percrocutidae† Nandiniidae Prionodontidae Barbourofelidae† Felidae Viverridae Hyaenidae Herpestidae Eupleridae    Caniformia    Amphicyonidae† Canidae    Arctoidea        Hemicyonidae† Ursidae Pinnipedia Enaliarctidae†     Phocidae     Otariidae Odobenidae    Musteloidea        Ailuridae     Mephitidae     Procyonidae Mustelidae

See also

• Cat-fox, a possible new carnivore discovered on Borneo
• List of Carnivora

References

External links

• High-Resolution Images of Carnivore Brains

The subject of this article has been identified by the Missing Encyclopedic Articles project as being a high priority for expansion.

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