Pantherinae

For the biological tribe of moths formerly known as Pantheridae or Pantherini, see Abraxini. For the psychoactive mushroom toxin sometimes called pantherine, see Muscimol.

Pantherinae[1]
Temporal range: Late Miocene to Holocene
Pantherinae subfamily members (from left): jaguar, leopard, lion, tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Pocock, 1917
Genera

The Pantherinae is a subfamily of the Felidae; it was named and first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1917 as only including the Panthera species,[2] but later also came to include the clouded leopards (genus Neofelis). The Pantherinae genetically diverged from a common ancestor between 9.32 to 4.47 million years ago and 10.67 to 3.76 million years ago.[3][4]

Characteristics

Pantherinae species are characterised by an imperfectly ossified hyoid bone with elastic tendons that enable their larynx to be mobile.[2] They have a flat rhinarium that only barely reaches the dorsal side of the nose. The area between the nostrils is narrow, and not extended sidewards as in the Felinae.[5]

The Panthera species have a single, rounded, vocal fold with a thick mucosal lining, a large vocalis muscle, and a large cricothyroid muscle with long and narrow membranes. A vocal fold that is longer than 19 mm (0.75 in) enables all but the snow leopard among them to roar, as it has shorter vocal folds of 9 mm (0.35 in) that provide a lower resistance to airflow; this distinction was one reason it was proposed to be retained in the genus Uncia.[6][7]

Evolution

The Felidae originated in Central Asia in the Late Miocene; the subfamily Pantherinae diverged from the Felidae between 14.45 to 8.38 million years ago and 16.35 to 7.91 million years ago.[3][4] Several fossil Panthera species have been described:

An additional fossil genus Leontoceryx was described in 1938.[22]

There is evidence of distinct markers for the mitochondrial genome for Felidae.[23][24]

Results of a DNA-based study indicate that the tiger (Panthera tigris) branched off first, followed by the jaguar (P. onca), the lion (P. leo), then the leopard (P. pardus) and snow leopard (P. uncia).[25]

Felis pamiri, formerly referred to as Metailurus, is now considered a probable relative of extant Pantherinae and was moved to the genus Miopanthera.[26]

Taxonomy

Pocock originally defined the Pantherinae as comprising the genera Panthera and Uncia.[2] Today, Uncia has been subsumed into Panthera, and the genus Neofelis is also included.[27]

Living genera

The following table shows the extant taxa within the Pantherinae, grouped according to the traditional phenotypical classification.[27]

Genus Neofelis – Gray, 1867 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Clouded leopard

Leopard with large spots facing viewer

N. nebulosa
(Griffith, 1821) 		Central Nepal to continental Southeast Asia and southern China
Map of range 		Size: head to body 68.6–108 cm (27.0–42.5 in) with 61–91 cm (24–36 in) long tail[28]

Habitat: Forest and shrubland[29]

Diet: Medium-sized and small mammals on the ground and in trees, as well as birds[29] 		 VU 


3,700-5,600 Population declining[29]

Sunda clouded leopard

Leopard crouching under leaves at night

N. diardi
Cuvier, 1823

Two subspecies
 Parts of Sumatra and Borneo
Map of range 		Size: 69–108 cm (27–43 in) long, 61–91 cm (24–36 in) tail[30]

Habitat: Forest[31]

Diet: Medium-sized and small mammals[31] 		 VU 


4,500 Population declining[31]

Genus Panthera – Oken, 1816 – five species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Jaguar

Spotted jaguar on a rock

P. onca
(Linnaeus, 1758) 		Large swathes of South and Latin America, and Arizona in the United States
Map of range 		Size: 110–170 cm (43–67 in) long, 44–80 cm (17–31 in) tail[32]

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, inland wetlands, savanna, and grassland[33]

Diet: Variety of mammals, reptiles and birds, preferring ungulates[33] 		 NT 


Unknown Population declining[33]

Leopard

Spotted leopard walking in front of grass

P. pardus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Eight subspecies
 Much of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, the Caucasus in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Siberia
Map of range 		Size: 91–191 cm (36–75 in) long, 51–101 cm (20–40 in) tail[34]

Habitat: Forest, desert, rocky areas, grassland, savanna, and shrubland[35]

Diet: Ungulates, as well as other mammals, insects, reptiles, and birds[35] 		 VU 


Unknown Population declining[35]

Lion

Brown male lion lying in tall grass

P. leo
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Two subspecies
 Sub-Saharan Africa and India
Map of range 		Size: 137–250 cm (54–98 in) long, 60–100 cm (24–39 in) tail[36]

Habitat: Forest, grassland, shrubland, savanna, and desert[37]

Diet: Ungulates such as antelopes, zebra, and wildebeest, as well as other small to large mammals[37] 		 VU 


23,000–39,000 Population declining[37]

Snow leopard

Spotted snow leopard standing in the grass

P. uncia
(Schreber, 1775) 		Himalayas reaching north to Mongolia
Map of range 		Size: 90–120 cm (35–47 in) long, 80–100 cm (31–39 in) tail[38]

Habitat: Shrubland, rocky areas, forest, and grassland[39]

Diet: Caprines such as sheep and goats, as well as small mammals and birds[39] 		 VU 


2,700–3,400 Population declining[39]

Tiger

Large orange tiger with black stripes

P. tigris
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Two subspecies
 Scattered sections of Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent, and Siberia
Map of range 		Size: 150–230 cm (59–91 in) long, 90–110 cm (35–43 in) tail[40]

Habitat: Shrubland, forest, and grassland[41]

Diet: Deer and wild pigs, as well as a wide variety of other animals[41] 		 EN 


2,600–3,900 Population declining[41]


See also

References

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