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Puma (cougar)

Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1834Puma Jardine
1998Puma Martin p. 238
2006Puma Johnson et al. p. 74
2006Puma Salles et al. p. 8
2017Puma Breitenmoser and Breitenmoser p. 33

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
Theriiformes()
Trechnotheria
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Ferae()
CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivora
suborderFeliformiaKretzoi 1945
superfamilyFeloideaHay 1930
familyFelidae
subfamilyFelinaeTrouessart 1885
genusPumaJardine 1834

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Puma Jardine 1834 [cougar]
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Puma concolor Linnaeus 1771 [puma]
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Invalid names: Felis aztecus Merriam 1903 [synonym], Felis bangsi Merriam 1901 [synonym], Felis bituminosa Merriam and Stock 1932 [synonym], Felis californica May 1896 [synonym], Felis coryi Bangs 1899 [synonym], Felis couguar Kerr 1792 [synonym], Felis daggetti Merriam 1918 [synonym], Felis hawveri Stock 1918 [synonym], Felis hippolestes Merriam 1897 [synonym], Felis oregonensis Rafinesque 1832 [synonym], Felis puma Molina 1782 [synonym]
Puma lacustris Gazin 1933
Puma yagouaroundi Geoffroy 1803 [jaguarundi]
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Invalid names: Felis apache Mearns 1901 [synonym], Felis darwini Martin 1837 [synonym], Felis jaguarondi Fischer 1814 [objective synonym], Felis unicolor Trail 1819 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Body mass estimates
estimateequationreference
 26.1 kg Mammalia femur diameterGingerich 1990
 56.8 kg Mammalia humerus diameterGingerich 1990
 45.7 kg Mammalia tibia diameterGingerich 1990
mean: 40.7 kg
Measurements
partNmean
femur diameter116.6
humerus diameter123.2
radius diameter112.4
tibia diameter119.6

Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: scansorialf
Diet: carnivoreg
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2009-01-04 14:10:59
Modified: 2009-01-04 16:10:59
Source: g = genus, f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Nowak 1991, Van Valkenburgh 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Lillegraven 1979, Carroll 1988, Ji et al. 2002

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Pliocene to the top of the Holocene or 5.33300 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 4.9 Ma

Collections (73 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
early Early Hemphillian - late Early Hemphillian10.3 - 4.9USA (Idaho) Puma lacustris (218109 218111)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Georgia Puma pardoides (40392)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8USA (Washington) Felis lacustris (20062)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8USA (Texas) Felis lacustris (20023 20031 20033)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8Mexico (Baja California Sur) Felis lacustris (20075)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8USA (California) Felis concolor (19663 20116 20121) Felis concolor, Felis lacustris (20120) Felis lacustris (20118 20122)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8USA (Idaho) Felis lacustris (19913) Puma concolor (19786 19787 19796)
Late/Upper Pliocene - Early/Lower Pleistocene3.6 - 0.781Italy Puma pardoides (189027)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781Bolivia (Tarija ) Felis concolor (70673)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117Peru (Huanuco) Puma sp. (145576)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Maryland) Felis couguar (126660)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Texas) Felis oregonensis (93257)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Kansas) Felis concolor (20295)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (California) Felis concolor (20272)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Washington) Felis concolor (20307)
Ensenadan1.75 - 0.4Argentina (Buenos Aires) Puma concolor (212780)
Lujanian (interglacial)0.781 - 0.012Uruguay (Salto) Puma concolor (140159)
Lujanian0.781 - 0.012Uruguay Felis concolor, Puma concolor (71274)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129USA (California) Felis concolor (20639)
Rancholabrean0.3 - 0.012USA (California) Felis daggetti (150336)
Rancholabrean0.3 - 0.012USA (South Carolina) Puma concolor (79757)
Rancholabrean0.3 - 0.012USA (Florida) Felis concolor (20491) Puma concolor (195112)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Argentina (Buenos Aires) Felis concolor (73845)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Argentina (Santiago del Estero) Puma concolor (191153)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Georgia) Felis concolor (13066)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Florida) Puma concolor (154722)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Brazil (Piaui) Felis yagouaroundi (71334) Herpailurus yagouaroundi (71332 71335)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Peru Puma concolor (212474) Puma sp. (212475)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Missouri) Felis concolor (93379)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Idaho) Puma concolor (20569)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (New Mexico) Felis concolor (76059)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (California) Puma concolor (155393)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (New Mexico) Felis concolor (93141 93281)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Wyoming) Felis concolor (93277)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117Chile (Magallanes) Puma concolor (141367)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Florida) Felis sp. (20636)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (California) Felis hawveri (155409) Felis hippolestes (93250) Felis sp. (20273)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial)0.129 - 0.0117Brazil (Bahia) Puma concolor (136498)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Honduras (Copan) Puma concolor (230462)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Mexico (Quintana Roo) Puma concolor (212361)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0Brazil (Bahia) Herpailurus yagouaroundi, Puma concolor (71313) Puma concolor (212251)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0USA (Arizona) Felis concolor (93374)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0Mexico (Chihuahua) Puma concolor (71263)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0USA (Utah) Felis concolor (93326)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0USA (Montana) Felis concolor (162133)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Brazil (Bahia) Puma concolor (212250)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Peru Felis concolor, Felis yagouaroundi (21689)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Venezuela (Guarico) Felis concolor, Felis yagouaroundi (21686)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Brazil (Districto Agropecura) Felis concolor (21687)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0USA (Ohio) Puma concolor (195062 195067)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Argentina (Buenos Aires) Puma sp. (71349)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0USA (Virginia) Felis concolor (104675)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Panama Felis concolor, Felis yagouaroundi (21691)