Lecture 34 Evolution & Domestication - Cats Flashcards
Cats are in the order ___ and family ___
Carnivora > Felidae
Two subfamilies of felids are:
- Pantherinae
- Felinae
Tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards are in the group
Pantherinae < Felidae < Carnivora
Domestic cats, cougars, cheetahs, servals, lynxes, caracal, and ocelots are in the group
Felinae < Felidae < Carnivora
Cats have ___ claws
Protractable
Common ancestor of Pantherinae and Felinae is
Pseudaelurus
Extinct subfamily of Felidae is
Machairodontinae (saber-tooth cats)
Smilodon, Machairodus, and Homotherium are
3 genera of the extinct subfamily Machairodontinae
Wild felids are native to every continent except
Australia and Antarctica
Felids share a genetic anatomy that
Prevents them from tasting sweetness
Taste buds are
Receptors that bind proteins
Sweet receptors are made of
2 proteins encoded by 2 genes (TAS1R2 and TAS1R3)
In felids, TAS1R2 lacks
247 base pairs (ie. amino acids) causing the sweet receptor to not form
The tail of cats is between
1/3 to 1/2 the length of the body
Skull of cats is ___ and the muzzle is ___
Highly domed; short
Cat skulls have (3):
-wide zygomatic arches
-large sagittal crest
-strong masticatory (chewing) muscles
Two examples of cats that interbreed with their wild cousins
-Bengal
-Savannah
The Savannah cat is
Illegal in Australia
Wild cats were attracted to human settlements by
Mice and rats
Felis silvestris catus
Domestic cat
Analyses of mitochondrial DNA determined that all domestic cats are
Descended from the New Eastern Wildcat (Felis sylvestris lybica)
Genetically pure cats are
Rare and almost extinct because they reproduce with domestic cats
Most frequently mummified animal is
The cat
Development of tabby patterning in cats was used to
Better camouflage in forests
A more stocky, or cobby, body and head in cats was used for
Adaptation to cold
Tabby patterning and a stockier body in the cat were a result of
Matings with European Wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris)
Long hair in cats is the result of
Spontaneous mutation that became fixed through inbreeding in isolated and cold environments
Cat breeds are the result of (3)
-genetic mutation
-geographic isolation
-human preference
Geographic isolation and natural selection resulted in the ___cat
Maine Coon
One of the earliest spontaneous mutations is the ___ cat
Manx
There are ___ registered cat breeds
43
