A Revised Taxonomy of the Felidae (Cat Classification Task Force)

The IUCN Cat Specialist Group convened a Cat Classification Task Force to reconcile decades of conflicting felid taxonomy with modern genetic and morphological evidence. The resulting consensus recognized a reduced and better-supported set of species and subspecies, controversially collapsing tiger subspecies into two groups and rationalizing leopard, lion, and clouded leopard divisions. The document weighed molecular phylogenetics, biogeography, and morphometrics against the practical needs of conservation management. It has become the standard reference for how many felid species and subspecies exist, directly shaping studbooks, trade regulation, and red-list assessments, while flagging cases where genetic data remain insufficient to settle boundaries.