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Werdelin, L.
Morphological patterns in the skull of cats
1983 Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (19): 375-391
Measurements on the skull and dentition of 159 specimens of 22 species of recent felid were analysed using multivariate statistical methods (principal component analysis and correspondence analysis). The resulting patterns were considered in the light of recent work on the systematics of felids (large cats and small cats were clearly differentiated). Within each group there are subgroups. In the small cat group one subgroup was found to consist of the species _Lynx lynx_, _L. rufus_, _L. pardina_,_ L. canadensis_ and possibly _Felis manul_. Another subgroup consisted of the species _F. bengalis_, _F. rubiginosa_, _F. planiceps_ and _F. viverrina_. These two subgroups agree well with other work on felid systematics. Subgroups which do not agree so well with other work were also found, and the reasons for this are considered. Within the large cats there are two species, _F. concolor_ and _Neofelis nebulosa_, which are clearly deviant from the norm. The reasons for this deviation are also considered.
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