The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: a genetic assessment

This influential study reconstructed the molecular phylogeny of all living cat species and dated their diversification, establishing the framework of eight major felid lineages used ever since. Using multiple nuclear and mitochondrial genes across the family, the authors resolved relationships among genera and estimated that the modern radiation began roughly 11 million years ago, with most lineages diverging in a relatively rapid burst. They reconstructed the sequence in which lineages such as Panthera, the bay cat group, caracal, ocelot, lynx, puma, leopard cat, and domestic cat lineages split, and linked diversification to sea-level changes that enabled intercontinental dispersal. The paper became the backbone for later genus revisions and the 2017 taxonomy, making it one of the most cited works in felid systematics.