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All cat species have very short snouts, with a reduced number of cheek teeth. In a domestic cat the eye sockets are relatively large, their vertical diameter being greater than the length of the nasals, as in humans.
Since the 18th century taxonomists have tacitly distinguished the wild cat as F. sylvestris but recent studies suggest that it should be conspecific with F. catus (ref.). The skull of a wild cat is said to be larger and more robust, but as hybridisation may have been taking place since Roman times, there may not be a clear distinction between wild and domestic cats in Britain. |
1.
Skull of domestic cat, lateral view.
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1.
Skull of domestic cat, ventral view.
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1. Skull of domestic cat, posterior view.
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1.
Mandible of domestic cat.
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Internet Resources
Standard references :
Smithsonian / Wilson & Reeder's Taxonomic List
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web (Not the best of their pages)
References
Sicuro, F.L. 2011. Evolutionary trends on extant cat skull morphology; Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 103, Issue 1 pp 176–190:
"The felid ecomorphological fit to hypercarnivory is obvious" ! |
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Taxonomy:
Order - Carnivora (typical carnivores)
Suborder - Feliformia (cat-like)
Family - Felidae (cats)
Subfamily - Felinae (non-pantherine cats)
Scientific Name:
Felis "cat" (latin)
catus "cat" (latin)
Dental Formula
U 3.1.2-3.1 L 3.1.2.1
Measurements: (defined)
Overall length - 97mm
Overall width - 66mm (more)
Collection Data
Stage - Adult
Sex - Male
Area collected - Northumberland
Date collected - 2000
Collector - WH
Collection ref. - 00.037
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Skull Measurements
(defined) |
all measurements in mm |
Specimen |
CB |
ZW |
JL |
IW |
PC |
NL |
UT |
Sex |
Comments |
00.037 |
89 |
66 |
62 |
18.5 |
34.5 |
27 |
23 |
M |
Gilsland, Northumberland |
07.001 |
80.3 |
62.4 |
67.1 |
18.8 |
34.8 |
- |
- |
- |
Gilsland, Northumberland |
91.011 |
88 |
65.5 |
60.5 |
18 |
31 |
26 |
22 |
F |
"Blanca" Gilsland, Northumberland |
97.006 |
85.5 |
64 |
61 |
17.5 |
33 |
23 |
20 |
- |
Newbridge-on-Wye, Wales |
93.019 |
92 |
75 |
- |
20 |
33 |
29 |
21 |
M |
"Sooty" - Stow, Lincolnshire |
12.001 |
86 |
68 |
60 |
17 |
30.5 |
23 |
20 |
- |
no details |
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96.8 |
78.5 |
- |
22.6 |
30.7 |
24.8 |
- |
- |
Orleans, France |
12.003 |
88.8 |
67.7 |
61.4 |
20.2 |
30.0 |
25.1 |
20.3 |
- |
Feral cat, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
12.002 |
60 |
47 |
- |
12.5 |
31 |
18 |
13 |
- |
Immature. Albany, Georgia, USA |
12.005 |
40.2 |
29.5 |
26.4 |
9.9 |
25.3 |
10.8 |
10.9 |
M |
Immature, 3 weeks, Colne, Lancs. |
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