Over the past 20 years both morphological and molecular phylogenies have been proposed for extant and extinct members of the family Felidae. However, there remain several discrepancies, particularly within the genus Panthera and the position of Panthera atrox. Consequently, morphologic characters from the skull and dentary were analyzed within Panthera (including all extant and one extinct taxa) to gain a better understanding of pantherine phylogeny. Multiple specimens of each taxon were analyzed, including: P. leo, P. tigris, P. onca, P. pardus , Uncia uncia, and Neofelis nebulosa. Four outgroups were used; Crocuta crocuta, Metailurus ssp., Proailurus lemanensis, and Pseudaelurus validus. From each phylogeny created, despite the outgroup, apparent grouping between Panthera leo, P. tigris, and P. atrox was present. Therefore, P. atrox is likely more closely related to the African lion and the tiger than the jaguar, in contrast to what has been recently suggested.
","abstract_html":"<p>Over the past 20 years both morphological and molecular phylogenies have been proposed for extant and extinct members of the family Felidae. However, there remain several discrepancies, particularly within the genus <em>Panthera</em> and the position of <em>Panthera atrox</em>. Consequently, morphologic characters from the skull and dentary were analyzed within <em>Panthera</em> (including all extant and one extinct taxa) to gain a better understanding of pantherine phylogeny. Multiple specimens of each taxon were analyzed, including: <em>P. leo, P. tigris, P. onca, P. pardus , Uncia uncia</em>, and <em>Neofelis nebulosa</em>. Four outgroups were used; <em>Crocuta crocuta, Metailurus ssp., Proailurus lemanensis</em>, and <em>Pseudaelurus validus</em>. From each phylogeny created, despite the outgroup, apparent grouping between <em>Panthera leo, P. tigris</em>, and <em>P. atrox</em> was present. Therefore, <em>P. atrox</em> is likely more closely related to the African lion and the tiger than the jaguar, in contrast to what has been recently suggested.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["King, Leigha M"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS (Master of Science)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Geosciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-05-05T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-05-05T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:31Z","subjects":["P. atrox","phylogeny","Keywords: auditory bullae","dentary","morphology","Panthera","cranial","Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology","Life Sciences","Physiology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1444","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["King, Leigha M"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012-05-05T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Geosciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS (Master of Science)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["P. atrox","phylogeny","Keywords: auditory bullae","dentary","morphology","Panthera","cranial","Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology","Life Sciences","Physiology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2637/viewcontent/KingL043012f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1444"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Over the past 20 years both morphological and molecular phylogenies have been proposed for extant and extinct members of the family Felidae. However, there remain several discrepancies, particularly within the genus Panthera and the position of Panthera atrox. Consequently, morphologic characters from the skull and dentary were analyzed within Panthera (including all extant and one extinct taxa) to gain a better understanding of pantherine phylogeny. Multiple specimens of each taxon were analyzed, including: P. leo, P. tigris, P. onca, P. pardus , Uncia uncia, and Neofelis nebulosa. Four outgroups were used; Crocuta crocuta, Metailurus ssp., Proailurus lemanensis, and Pseudaelurus validus. From each phylogeny created, despite the outgroup, apparent grouping between Panthera leo, P. tigris, and P. atrox was present. Therefore, P. atrox is likely more closely related to the African lion and the tiger than the jaguar, in contrast to what has been recently suggested.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Phylogeny of Panthera, Including P. atrox, Based on Cranialmandibular Characters"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["King, Leigha M"],"dc:date.issued":["2012-05-05T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Over the past 20 years both morphological and molecular phylogenies have been proposed for extant and extinct members of the family Felidae. However, there remain several discrepancies, particularly within the genus Panthera and the position of Panthera atrox. Consequently, morphologic characters from the skull and dentary were analyzed within Panthera (including all extant and one extinct taxa) to gain a better understanding of pantherine phylogeny. Multiple specimens of each taxon were analyzed, including: P. leo, P. tigris, P. onca, P. pardus , Uncia uncia, and Neofelis nebulosa. Four outgroups were used; Crocuta crocuta, Metailurus ssp., Proailurus lemanensis, and Pseudaelurus validus. From each phylogeny created, despite the outgroup, apparent grouping between Panthera leo, P. tigris, and P. atrox was present. Therefore, P. atrox is likely more closely related to the African lion and the tiger than the jaguar, in contrast to what has been recently suggested.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2637/viewcontent/KingL043012f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1444"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["P. atrox","phylogeny","Keywords: auditory bullae","dentary","morphology","Panthera","cranial","Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology","Life Sciences","Physiology"],"dc:title":["Phylogeny of Panthera, Including P. atrox, Based on Cranialmandibular Characters"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Geosciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS (Master of Science)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:31Z"}