Cryptoprocta ferox (Bennett 1833) is the extant fossa, a cat-like mongoose from Madagascar. This isolation of this taxon on Madagascar demonstrates its antiquity because Madagascar split from Africa 135 mya. This taxon is basal to cats.

Felis silvestris (Schreber 1777) is the extant wildcat and house cat, here nesting betwween Cryptoprocta and Acinonyx, then Panthera. Note the flatter face and large orbits. These are neotonous traits carried into adulthood. Like other night hunters (bats, odontocetes, barn owls) the skull is torsioned to improve binaural abilities and the orbits are rotated anteriorly for better binocular vision.

Proailurus lemanensis (Fihol 1879, MNHN SG 3509, Late Oligocene, 25mya, about the size of a domestic cat) nests with Acinonyx, the cheetah, in the LRT.

Acinonyx jubatus (Brookes 1828) is the extant cheetah, now native to Africa, but extinct relatives are known from North America and Europe. This is the fastest land mammal. A long lumbar region makes the backbone quite flexible, contributing to this ability. Note the shorter face and longer metatarsals relative to Panthera.

Panthera leo (Linneaus 1758; up to 250 cm in length (sans tail), Pliocene, 10 mya to present) is the extant African lion, a running carnivore, hunter and scavenger nesting with hyaenas and dogs, derived from a sister to Borophagus. Panthera has a shorter jaw length with fewer teeth.

Panthera is an apex predator with claws that are held upright and retracted except when used to climb prey or trees. Manual digit 1 has the largest claw. The shoulder girdle is large.

?Amphicyon galushi (Hunt 2003; Eocene) was originally considered a bear dog, but here nests with Crocuta, the hyaena, though slightly smaller and with smaller teeth.

Dinictis felina (skeleton) Dinictis squalidens (skull, Leidy 1854, Barrett 2016, 1.1m body length + tail, Late Eocene to Early Miocene) is traditionally considered a member of the Nimravus (below) clade. Here this fast, long-bodied predator nests between Acinonyx and the Nimravus clade. Barrett 2016 identified the large cheek teeth as premolars. Here they are molars evolved to have a sharp cutting edge of a premolar.

Nimravus gomphodus (Cope 1880, Barrett 2016) The Nimravidae is traditionally a family of extinct, superficially cat-like' carnivores, most of which exhibit saber-tooth dentition. Here they are derived from cats like Felis. Other sabertooths are closer to wolverienes like Gulo.