Research overview: how genetics reshaped felid taxonomy

For much of the twentieth century, cat classification rested on coat patterns, skull morphology, and geography, producing many poorly supported species and subspecies. This overview surveys how molecular phylogenetics overturned and refined this picture, collapsing some taxa, splitting others such as the clouded leopard and the oncilla, and rearranging relationships like the cheetah's placement with pumas. It discusses the tension between molecular and morphological evidence, the role of the Cat Classification Task Force in reaching consensus, and how genetics shifted taxonomy from a descriptive enterprise toward an evidence-based framework that directly informs conservation priorities across the cat family.