Early Dogs drove to Extinction by the Cats

The dogs family originated in North America 40 Million of years ago and reached a maximum diversity around 22 million of years ago, when more than 30 species inhabited the continent. Today only 9 species of them lived in North America. They progressively increased in body size and species and specialized into becoming large predator. Some of them exceeded 30 kg and were among the largest carnivore on the North American continent. Although there are several large carnivores today face a higher extinction risk than smaller species, the author of the study found no evidence of a similar pattern in ancient canid species.

In the ancient times in the North America the canid species and the felid species fights for the same food just what we see in the Africa today where lions, leopards, Hyenas, wild dogs and other carnivores. New researches revealed that the ancient felids have strong negative impacts on the survivals of the ancient dogs but the opposite is not true. 

This also proved that the ancient felid species are much more efficient hunters than the ancient dogs.

Source: University of Gothenberg

Habitat loss threatens the world's felids

Almost half of the 36 species of felids that live in the wild in the world are at threat, according to scientists. Yet the lack of studies regarding their main threat, the loss and fragmentation of their habitat, limits the establishment of effective conservation strategies. These are the findings of a study which has only been able to find 162 scientific articles regarding this threat which clearly endangers the Iberian lynx. 

 

Despite conservation efforts, news on how Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) are hit by vehicles on Spanish roads has been reported. The status of the most endangered felid in the world is hardly improved by the continual 'incursions' into its territory.. Ever-shrinking and broken-up habitats affect the future of the lynx.

To assess the situation of the Iberian lynx and other felid species that live in the wild on our planet, a team of Brazilian and Spanish scientists has reviewed the scientific literature that exists on the main threat for these mammals: the loss and fragmentation of their habitats. The results have been published in the scientific journal Oryx. Although many scientific studies are produced (last January, for example, 60,000 scientific articles were published), researchers could only find a total of 162 studies which evaluated threats affecting felids.

North America and Europe generate the greatest amount of research on the effect of habitat loss on felids. However, in view of the lack of research in certain countries with less economic resources, the real effect of this threat is still unknown for 16 species of felids. This is the case for the Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobita), the Bornean bay cat (Pardofelis badia), the flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps), and the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), in danger of extinction and for whom there are very few studies and conservation measures.

Source: Science Daily