Felid Form and Function Flashcards
Ambush hunting
constraints: Prey Size
limited the adaptive radiation of the modern cats
Cursorial
hunting by running
Piscivores
Fishing
Arboreal Specialists
Trees
Pelage
Fur: markings and coloring
Crypsis:
coloration matches the general habitat
open spaces
disruptive coloration
bold patterns on paler ground color
sunlight falling through vegitation
Basic Coat Patterns
Flecked (small spots) Rosettes Vertical stripes Small blotches Blotches Uniform (no pattern)
Pelage Function
Insulates cats from ambient climate
Weigel
All coat patterns derived from large spots
Kingdon
Small spots fused to form rosettes and bigger spots
Werdelin and Olsson
Agreed with Kingdon but thought the pattern that develops is predicted by the size and shape of the animal when pre-pattern is formed
Werdelinand Olsson were correct! Showed that flecks are the primitive felid character from which the other 5 main coat patterns evolved
Melanism
Dominant in some species (jaguar)
Recessive in others (leopard)
Eyes
Nocturnal or crepuscular hunters
Eyes must function in darkness and Also in broad daylight
cats have sacrificed visual acuity for greater sensitivity under low light levels
Tapetum lucidum
Adaptation for increasing the light sensitivity
reflective layer of cells behind the rods and cones of retina (mirror, brighter image)
Stereoscopic Vision (3D)
Cats need stereoscopic vision for judging distance
Greatest degree of stereoscopy among mammals
Hearing
many cats rely on hearing to detect and capture prey when it cannot be easily seen
High-frequency hearing may allow them to detect the ultrasonic communication of rodents