Lecture 15 - Carnivora

Order Carnviora

• Most diverse mammalian order in size.

• Evolved about 55 MYA during the late Paleocene in North America.

  • Split into cat-like and dog-like forms around 40 MYA.

• Eating meat is not a defining character of the order.

• Living carnivorans share morphological characteristics such as specialization of the teeth.

• Individuals may be solitary or paired in groups.

Order Carnivora - Suborders

1. Feliformia - “cat-like”

2. Caniformia - “dog-like”

Hunting methods

1. Concealment (spots or stripes) with a surprise ambush (felids)

2. Stalk followed by a short, swift run (weasels)

3. Prolonged chase (wolves or hyenas)

Teeth specialization

The defining morphological characteristic of carnivores is the carnassial teeth (shearing and cutting).

• Consist of the fourth upper premolar (P4) and first lower molar (M1).

Skulls

• Heavy with strong facial musculature for: crushing, cutting, and chewing flesh, ligaments, and bone

• Felid skulls have a short, rounded rostrum (snout) while Canid skulls have a long rostrum.

• Carnivores often have a deep, sharply defined C-shaped mandibular fossa (hinge joint).

The auditory bullae

The bony structure that houses the inner and middle ear components.

• The structure of the bullae is used to distinguish the 2 suborders of carnivores.

• In feliformes: the tympanic and endotympanic bones form the bullae with a septum.

• In caniforms: the bullae are formed only from the tympanic bone and there is no septum.

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Carnivores stomachs

Carnivores tend to have simple stomachs (with an undeveloped cecum), because meat is easy to digest.

• There are some specialized diets.

• Most only eat living prey, but canids, ursids, and hyaenids also consume carrion (carcass).

Suborder Feliformia

Consists of 6 families.

1. Felidae - cats

2. Hyaneidae - hyenas

3. Herpestidae - mongooses

4. Viverridae - civets and genets

5. Eupleridae - Madagascar mongooses

6. Nandiniidae - African palm civet

Suborder Feliformia characteristics

• Coats that are spotted, rossetted, or striped.

• Found in tropical habitats, with a few exceptions.

• Many are arboreal or semi-arboreal.

• Majority are digitigrade (walk on the toes).

• Felid claws are retractile (rarely semi-retractile).

• Usually strict carnivores.

• Have fewer teeth and shorter skulls.

• Specialized carnassials.

Suborder Feliformia - Family Felidae

The cats.

• The strictest carnivores of order Carnivora.

• Two subfamilies:

  • Pantherinae - tigers, lions, jaguars, and leopards.

  • Felinae - cougar, cheeta, serval, lynes, caracal, ocelet, and domestic cats.

• All wild felids, other than the lion, are solitary.

• Felids are often nocturnal.

• Native to every continent except Australia and Antartica.

• Good binocular vision.

• Tongues are covered with horny papillae, which help to rip meat off of their prey.

• Almost all felids have fully protractile claws.

• Cats have five toes on their forefeet and four on their hindfeet.

Suborder Feliformia - Family Hyaenidae

The hyenas.

• Native to both African and Asian continents.

• Consist of 4 living species - the striped hyena, brown hyena, spotted hyena, and the aardwolf.

• Have bone-crushing teeth.

• Spotted hyenas have powerful carnassial teeth. The aardwolfs have reduced cheek teeth.

• Digitigrade, with non-retractable claws.

• Long necks with long forelimbs and short hindlimbs.

• Lack a baculum (bone found in penis).

• Spotted hyenas live in a hierarchical social structure.

Suborder Caniformia

Consist of 9 families.

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Suborder Caniformia characteristics