Taxonomy, morphology, paleontology and phylogeny of the South American small cats (Mammalia: felidae)

grantor: University of TorontoAll eight native species of South American small cats (SASC) are studied. They are classified into three genera using a cladistic analysis of 52 mitochondrial DNA characters and 22 morphological characters, as follows: 'Leopardus paradalis, L. wiedii, L. jacobita, Oncifelis colocolo, O. geoffroyi, O. guigna, O. tigrina' and 'Herpailurus yagouaroundi'. The taxonomic history of all SASC is reviewed. There has been much taxonomic confusion in this group, usually because early descriptions did not include differential diagnoses of species, and age variation was ignored. A key to the skulls of the SASC is presented. Included in this key are all other South or Central American felid species: 'Panthera onca, Puma concolor, Lynx rufus' and 'Felis catus'. Each species is diagnosed by a suite of characters; polymorphism abounds. The key is based on the examination of 1762 SASC skulls, and 913 skulls of the additional four species. Discriminate Functions Analysis (DFA) is used to identify 24 specimens which were difficult to identify using only morphology. An additional DFA calculated on 353 SASC skulls of 6 species (all SASC except 'L. pardalis ' and 'L. jacobita'), produced a 94.3% success rate of correct classification. The sexual and age-related variation in ocelot skulls is explored. Males are 3.2% to 8.6% larger depending on the variable and geographic origin. Age variation is highly significant; in particular, old adult skulls are significantly larger, and different in shape, than adult skulls. The type specimen of ''Felis'' 'vorohuensis ' from the early Pleistocene of Argentina is re-examined. It is not a good source of phylogenetic information, as only two of 13 features in the original description are useful. Fossils of five species of SASC, one possibly extinct, are identified from, the Lund Collection of fossils from southern Brazil, and all other known SASC fossils are reviewed. The SASC ancestor is sought amongst the known North American Mio-Pliocene felid species. DFA demonstrates that although the living genera 'Leopardus, Lynx' and 'Puma' can be largely differentially diagnosed, many fossils do not fall neatly into one of these genera. Morphometrically, the fossil species 'lacustris' appears to be 'Puma', while ' rexroadensis' might be either 'Lynx' or 'Leopardus ', and 'proterolyncis' and 'longignathus' appear most similar to 'Lynx'.Ph.D