Evolution of skull and mandible shape in cats (Carnivora: Felidae)

This study quantified variation in skull and lower-jaw shape across living and extinct cats to understand the patterns and constraints governing felid cranial evolution. Using morphometric analysis of many species, the author examined how skull form relates to body size, bite mechanics, and prey-killing strategy, including the extreme modifications seen in sabertooths. The results showed that much of felid cranial diversity is structured by allometry and functional demands, with sabertooths occupying distinct regions of shape space reflecting their specialized killing apparatus. The work provided a broad comparative framework for interpreting the skulls of fossil cats, clarified how conical-toothed and sabertoothed forms diverged in cranial design, and contributed to ongoing efforts to link skull morphology with feeding behaviour and evolutionary history across the cat family.