In ancient Near Eastern iconography, panthers and lions were frequently used to express social status. The zooarchaeological remains of panthers and lions found in this region, however, are most commonly interpreted only as evidence for the management of dangerous animals. Starting with the faunal material from Iron Age Tel Burna, the authors collate and analyse zooarchaeological evidence for big cats across the Near East, from the Neolithic to the Iron Age (c. 9500–50 BC). The results show a shift in assemblage composition and find contexts starting in the Chalcolithic period, indicating the display of these animals by political leaders. The results also urge caution in the use of archaeological remains for reconstructing the natural ranges of big cats.

Five of the 13 known species of Mammomonogamus have been described in members of the family Felidae, including domestic cats, making felids the most frequent hosts of Mammomonogamus. The occurrence of Mammomonogamus in felids is geographically scattered and information on the life cycle and other aspects of infections is lacking. The paucity of data opens the questions on possible conspecificity of some of the described species of Mammomonogamus and on the existence of possible reservoirs for infections in domestic cats in geographically isolated endemic foci of infection. To test such hypotheses, we compared sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear markers obtained from Mammomonogamus adults or eggs collected from domestic cats in three geographically distant localities. Based on morphology, geographic origin and site of infection, the worms examined can be referred to as Mammomonogamus ierei and Mammomonogamus auris. Phylogenetic analyses of both mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA markers showed monophyly of the genus Mammomonogamus and suggested the existence of at least two species in cats. Review of the literature, the existence of several species and the discontinuous geographic distribution of Mammomonogamus infections in domestic cats suggest an historical spillover of infection from wild reservoirs, presumably wild felids.

The supertree construction problem is about combining several phylogenetic trees with possibly conflicting information into a single tree that has all the leaves of the source trees as its leaves and the relationships between the leaves are as consistent with the source trees as possible. This leads to an optimization problem that is computationally challenging and typically heuristic methods, such as matrix representation with parsimony (MRP), are used. In this paper we consider the use of answer set programming to solve the supertree construction problem in terms of two alternative encodings. The first is based on an existing encoding of trees using substructures known as quartets, while the other novel encoding captures the relationships present in trees through direct projections. We use these encodings to compute a genus-level supertree for the family of cats (Felidae). Furthermore, we compare our results to recent supertrees obtained by the MRP method.

Ecuador harbours a diverse assemblage of tropical mammals, yet the natural history and local-scale distributions of many species remain poorly understood. We conducted the first systematic camera-trap survey of terrestrial mammalian carnivores at Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary, a mid-elevation (1,250–1,450 m), montane rainforest site on the slopes of Sumaco Volcano, in the heart of the Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot. We quantified trap success, latency to detection and temporal activity patterns for each species detected. We recorded nine carnivore species (four felids, two procyonids and three mustelids), including the first verified record of the jaguarundi Puma yagouaroundi in the region. These species comprise one-third of all terrestrial carnivore species known to occur in Ecuador and 82% of those thought to occur at mid-elevation. All except one of the carnivores we detected have reported elevational ranges ≤ 1,500 m; the one exception, the puma Puma concolor, occurs throughout mainland Ecuador at 0–4,500 m. No cloud forest or highland species (i.e. those with a reported lower elevational limit of ≥ 1,500 m) were detected. Trap success was highest, and latency to detection smallest, for the margay Leopardis wiedii, and temporal activity patterns for all species were consistent with those reported previously in the literature. Our results demonstrate that the mid-elevation montane rainforests of Sumaco Volcano support an exceptionally high diversity of co-existing mammalian carnivores, many of which appear to be near their upper elevational limits, and emphasize the conservation value of this area.

Felid species have intrinsic ecological traits that make them particularly susceptible to the threats of habitat loss and fragmentation. We collate current knowledge of the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on felids, describing trends, investigating the allocation of research effort and identifying knowledge gaps. We searched the scientific literature and categorized articles according to conceptual and methodological approaches. We reviewed 162 articles and observed that scientific knowledge is unevenly distributed among topics and species. Habitat suitability and patch–landscape configuration are the most studied topics. The allocation of research effort is unrelated to variables that describe conservation priorities, such as threat status and habitat availability within a species’ range, but it is related to body size, suggesting that charismatic attributes influence the choice of target species. Countries with less research effort are also those with less economic development, and thus North America and Europe are the centres of knowledge generation of reviewed studies. The responses of sixteen felid species to habitat loss and fragmentation remain unknown. Of these the Andean mountain cat Leopardus jacobita, the Bornean bay cat Pardofelis badia, the flat-headed cat Prionailurus planiceps and the fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus most urgently require research because they are threatened with extinction. We recommend the use of theoretical approaches, through modelling exercises, as a first step to address the lack of information about the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on felids, especially for those species for which there are large knowledge gaps.

Despite formidable challenges and few successes in reintroducing large cats from captivity to the wild, the release of captives has widespread support from the general public and local governments, and continues to occur ad hoc. Commercial so-called lion Panthera leo encounter operations in Africa exemplify the issue, in which the captive breeding of the lion is linked to claims of reintroduction and broader conservation outcomes. In this article we assess the capacity of such programmes to contribute to in situ lion conservation. By highlighting the availability of wild founders, the unsuitability of captive lions for release and the evidence-based success of wild–wild lion translocations, we show that captive-origin lions have no role in species restoration. We also argue that approaches to reintroduction exemplified by the lion encounter industry do not address the reasons for the decline of lions in situ, nor do they represent a model that can be widely applied to restoration of threatened felids elsewhere.

Our objective in this study was to determine the density of the jaguar Panthera onca from camera-trap data, using an open population model, in a private protected natural area, the Northern Jaguar Reserve, and 10 adjoining cattle ranches in the state of Sonora, Mexico. The region is considered a long–term jaguar conservation unit. As well as being the most northerly recorded reproductive population of the jaguar, the arid habitat of this region is atypical for the species. During 16 months of sampling we identified 10 individual jaguars and the data met the three main assumptions of open population models. The estimated mean density was 1.05±SE 0.4 individuals per 100 km2, with a constant survival probability of 0.94 and capture probability of 0.23. This estimate of density is lower than reported in studies of the jaguar from more southerly locations in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Bolivia and Brazil but cannot be attributed to a single factor even though in general there is an apparent relationship between jaguar density and precipitation. The main objectives of the management of the Northern Jaguar Reserve are to reduce the impact of cattle and restore jaguar habitat, with strategies focused on water retention, removal of invasive grass, reforestation and environmental education. Livestock have been gradually excluded since 2003 and, combined with the protection provided under the agreements with the surrounding ranches, the area is now a suitable place for long-term studies of the jaguar.

The evolutionary history of the lion Panthera leo began in Pliocene east Africa, as open habitats expanded towards the end of the Cenozoic. During the middle–late Pleistocene, lions spread to most parts of Eurasia, North America, and may have eventually reached as far south as Peru. Lions probably evolved group-living behaviour before they expanded out of Africa, and this trait is likely to have prevailed in subsequent populations. The first lions were presumed to have been maneless, and maneless forms seem to have persisted in Europe, and possibly the New World, until around 10 000 years ago. The maned form may have appeared c. 320 000–190 000 years ago, and may have had a selective advantage that enabled it to expand to replace the range of earlier maneless forms throughout Africa and western Eurasia by historic times: ‘latest wave hypothesis’.

The use of breeding dens and the early kitten development was studied in a free-ranging population of Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus. Radio-tracking of female lynx allowed intensive monitoring of three litters during 1997, and additional data to be obtained from nine other litters in the previous 4 years. Females gave birth a maximum of one litter per year in spring; nine of the 10 births were recorded between the last 2 weeks of March and the first days of April. Kittens were born semi-altricial and reared for nearly 20 days in secluded hollow trunks. Afterwards, they were moved between different bushes, which served as auxiliary dens, where they began to develop walking and senses. Kittens first consumed meat at the age of 4 weeks, although they were not fully weaned until they were at least 10 weeks old. At the age of 2 months, kittens began to leave the dens, accompanying their mothers on outings. It is suggested that the pattern of den use was related to the stage of kitten development, to fulfil the kittens' need for both protection and space as they grew. Data on kitten denning and development should be accounted for in in-situ and ex-situ conservation programmes for this endangered felid.

The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is the most cursorial felid and has been described as somewhat dog-like in both the shape and the diminished degree of retraction of the claws. In this study we evaluate and investigate the osteological correlates associated with claw retraction in the cheetah through a comparison of the morphology of its middle phalanges with those of other felids and of the wolf Canis lupus. Compared to other felids, the middle phalanges of the cheetah have better-developed grooving of the distal articulatory facets in both the manus and pes, reduced to absent angulation to the distal articulatory facets in the inner and outer digits, less marked asymmetry of the shaft, and a mid-shaft cross-section that is less triangular and more circular. In all of these features, the morphology of the cheetah is intermediate between that of other felids and that of the wolf. The cheetah's distinctive morphology is autapomorphic within Felidae and similarities between the cheetah and the wolf are the result of convergence. Study of an ontogenetic series of specimens of the domestic cat suggests that the morphology of the cheetah can be explained, at least in part, as a product of heterochrony in which the development of the middle phalanx is truncated at an earlier stage than is typical of the adults of other felids. Some of the morphological differences in the middle phalanges of the cheetah can be associated with its distinctive hunting behaviour. The reduced manipulative capabilities of the forelimb associated with the evolution of cursorial adaptations seem to have limited the roles of the forepaws in both the subduing of prey and feeding.