Editing Carnivora (section)

==Systematics==
===Evolution===
[[Image:Tapocyon robustus.jpg|thumb|Life reconstruction of ''[[Tapocyon]] robustus'', a species of [[Miacidae|miacid]]]]

The order Carnivora belongs to a group of mammals known as [[Laurasiatheria]], which also includes other groups such as [[bat]]s and [[ungulate]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Waddell | first1 = Peter J.| last2 = Okada | first2 = Norihiro| last3 = Hasegawa | first3 = Masami| doi = 10.1093/sysbio/48.1.1 | title = Towards Resolving the Interordinal Relationships of Placental Mammals | journal = [[Systematic Biology]] | volume = 48 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–5 | year = 1999 | pmid = 12078634| doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name=Tsagkogeorga2013>{{cite journal |last1=Tsagkogeorga |first1=G |last2=Parker |first2=J |last3=Stupka |first3=E |last4=Cotton |first4=J.A. |last5=Rossiter |first5=S.J. |year=2013 |title=Phylogenomic analyses elucidate the evolutionary relationships of bats |journal=Current Biology |volume=23 |issue=22 |pages=2262–2267 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2013.09.014 |pmid=24184098|doi-access=free |bibcode=2013CBio...23.2262T }}</ref> Within this group the carnivorans are placed in the clade [[Ferae]]. Ferae includes the closest extant relative of carnivorans, the [[pangolin]]s, as well as several extinct groups of mostly [[Paleogene]] carnivorous placentals such as the [[Creodonta|creodont]]s, the [[arctocyonia]]ns, and [[Mesonychia|mesonychian]]s.<ref name="HallidayUpchurch2015">{{cite journal|last1=Halliday|first1=Thomas J. D.|last2=Upchurch|first2=Paul|last3=Goswami|first3=Anjali|title=Resolving the relationships of Paleocene placental mammals|journal=Biological Reviews|volume=92|issue=1|year=2015|pages=521–550|issn=1464-7931|doi=10.1111/brv.12242|pmid=28075073|url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1473028/1/Halliday_et_al-Biological_Reviews.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1473028/1/Halliday_et_al-Biological_Reviews.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|pmc=6849585}}</ref> The creodonts were originally thought of as the sister taxon to the carnivorans, perhaps even ancestral to, based on the presence of the [[Carnassial|carnassial teeth]],<ref>{{cite book | last = McKenna | first = M. C. | date = 1975 | chapter = Toward a phylogenetic classification of the Mammalia | pages = 21–46 | editor1-first = W. P. | editor1-last = Luckett | editor2-first = F. S. | editor2-last = Szalay | title = Phylogeny of the Primates | publisher = Plenum | location = New York }}</ref> but the nature of the carnassial teeth is different between the two groups. In carnivorans, the carnassials are positioned near the front of the molar row, while in the creodonts, they are positioned near the back of the molar row,<ref>{{cite book|first1=George A.|last1=Feldhamer|first2=Lee C.|last2=Drickamer|first3=Stephen H.|last3=Vessey|first4=Joseph F.|last4=Merritt|first5=Carey|last5=Krajewski|title=Mammalogy: Adaptation, Diversity, Ecology|location=Baltimore|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|year=2015|page=[https://archive.org/details/mammalogyadaptat03edunse/page/356 356]|isbn=978-0801886959|url=https://archive.org/details/mammalogyadaptat03edunse/page/356}}</ref> and this suggests a separate evolutionary history and an order-level distinction.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Alan|last1=Turner|first2=Mauricio|last2=Antón|title=Evolving Eden: An Illustrated Guide to the Evolution of the African Large-Mammal Fauna|location=New York|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2004|page=77|isbn=978-0-231-11944-3}}</ref> In addition, phylogenetic analysis suggests that creodonts are more closely related to pangolins while mesonychians might be the sister group to carnivorans and their stem-relatives.<ref name="HallidayUpchurch2015"/>

The closest stem-carnivorans are the [[Miacoidea|miacoid]]s. The miacoids include the families [[Viverravidae]] and [[Miacidae]], and together the Carnivora and Miacoidea form the stem-clade [[Carnivoramorpha]]. The miacoids were small, genet-like carnivoramorphs that occupy a variety of niches such as terrestrial and arboreal habitats. Studies have shown that while viverravids are a monophyletic basal group, the miacids are paraphyletic with respect to Carnivora (as shown in the phylogeny below).<ref name = Bryant2004>Bryant, H.N., and M. Wolson (2004) [https://web.archive.org/web/20080706090739/http://www.ohiou.edu/phylocode/IPNM.pdf "Phylogenetic Nomenclature of Carnivoran Mammals."] ''First International Phylogenetic Nomenclature Meeting''. Paris, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle</ref><ref name = asdff>{{cite book |author1=John J. Flynn |author2=John A. Finarelli |author3=Michelle Spaulding |year=2010 |chapter=Phylogeny of the Carnivora and Carnivoramorpha, and the use of the fossil record to enhance understanding of evolutionary transformations |editor1=Anjali Goswami |editor2=Anthony Friscia |title=Carnivoran evolution. New views on phylogeny, form and function |url=https://archive.org/details/carnivoranevolut00gosw |url-access=limited |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/carnivoranevolut00gosw/page/n40 25]–63 |isbn=9781139193436 |doi=10.1017/CBO9781139193436.003}}</ref>

Carnivoramorpha as a whole first appeared in the [[Paleocene]] of North America about 60&nbsp;million years ago.<ref name=Polly>{{cite journal | author = Polly, David, Gina D. Wesley-Hunt, Ronald E. Heinrich, Graham Davis and Peter Houde | year = 2006 | title = Earliest known carnivoran auditory bulla and support for a recent origin of crown-clade carnivora (Eutheria, Mammalia) | journal = Palaeontology | volume = 49 | issue = 5 | pages = 1019–1027 | doi = 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2006.00586.x | doi-access = free }}</ref> Crown carnivorans first appeared around 42&nbsp;million years ago in the [[Middle Eocene]].<ref name=Heinrich2008>{{cite journal |author=Heinrich, R.E. |author2=Strait, S.G. |author3=Houde, P. |date=January 2008 |title=Earliest Eocene Miacidae (Mammalia: Carnivora) from northwestern Wyoming |journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=82 |issue=1 |pages=154–162 |doi=10.1666/05-118.1|bibcode=2008JPal...82..154H |s2cid=35030667 }}</ref> Their molecular phylogeny shows the extant Carnivora are a [[monophyletic]] group, the [[crown group]] of the [[Carnivoramorpha]].<ref name="Eizirik, E. 2010">{{cite journal |last1=Eizirik |first1=E. |last2=Murphy |first2=W.J. |last3=Koepfli |first3=K.P. |last4=Johnson |first4=W.E. |last5=Dragoo |first5=J.W. |last6=O'Brien |first6=S.J. |date=July 2010 |title=Pattern and timing of the diversification of the mammalian order Carnivora inferred from multiple nuclear gene sequences |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=56 |issue= 1|pages=49–63 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.033 |pmid=20138220|pmc=7034395 |bibcode=2010MolPE..56...49E }}</ref> From there carnivorans have split into two clades based on the composition of the bony structures that surround the middle ear of the skull, the cat-like [[Feliformia|feliform]]s and the dog-like [[Caniformia|caniform]]s.<ref name="WangTedford2008">{{cite book | last1 = Wang | first1 = X. | last2 = Tedford | first2 = R. H. | year = 2008 | title = Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History| publisher = Columbia University Press |location = New York | pages = 1–232 |isbn = 978-0-231-13529-0}}</ref> In feliforms, the auditory bullae are double-chambered, composed of two bones joined by a [[septum]]. Caniforms have single-chambered or partially divided auditory bullae, composed of a single bone.<ref name="Ewer1973">{{cite book |author=R. F. Ewer |title=The Carnivores |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IETMd3-lSlkC |year=1973 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=0-8014-8493-6}}</ref> Initially, the early representatives of carnivorans were small as the creodonts (specifically, the oxyaenids) and mesonychians dominated the apex predator niches during the Eocene, but in the Oligocene, carnivorans became a dominant group of apex predators with the [[Nimravidae|nimravids]], and by the [[Miocene]] most of the extant carnivoran families have diversified and become the primary terrestrial predators in the Northern Hemisphere.

===Classification of the extant carnivorans===
{{see also|List of carnivorans}}
In 1758, the [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[botanist]] [[Carl Linnaeus]] placed all carnivorans known at the time into the group [[Mammalia in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae#Ferae|Ferae]] (not to be confused with the modern concept of Ferae which also includes pangolins) in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|tenth edition]] of his book ''[[Systema Naturae]]''. He recognized six genera: ''[[Canis]]'' (canids and hyaenids), ''[[Phoca]]'' (pinnipeds), ''[[Felis]]'' (felids), ''[[Viverra]]'' (viverrids, herpestids, and mephitids), ''[[Mustela]]'' (non-badger mustelids), ''[[Ursus (genus)|Ursus]]'' (ursids, large species of mustelids, and procyonids).<ref name="Linnaeus1758">{{cite book | author = Linnaeus, C. | year = 1758 | title = Sistema naturae per regna tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus differentiis, synonimis locis. Tomus I | publisher = Impensis direct. Laurentii Salvii, Holmia | pages = 20–32}}</ref> It was not until 1821 that the English writer and traveler [[Thomas Edward Bowdich]] gave the group its modern and accepted name.<ref name="Bowditch, T. E 1821. pages 24, 33">Bowditch, T. E. 1821. An analysis of the natural classifications of Mammalia for the use of students and travelers J. Smith Paris. 115. (refer pages 24, 33)</ref>

Initially, the modern concept of Carnivora was divided into two suborders: the terrestrial '''Fissipedia''' and the marine [[Pinnipedia]].<ref name="simpson1945">{{cite journal | last1 = Simpson | first1 = G.G. | year = 1945 | title = The principles of classification and a classification of mammals | journal = Bulletin of the AMNH | volume = 85 | pages = 1–350| hdl = 2246/1104 }}</ref> Below is the classification of how the extant families were related to each other after American paleontologist [[George Gaylord Simpson]] in 1945:<ref name="simpson1945"/>
* Order Carnivora <small>Bowdich, 1821</small>
** Suborder [[Fissipedia]] <small>Blumenbach, 1791</small>
*** Superfamily [[Caniformia|Canoidea]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>
**** Family [[Canidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small> – dogs
**** Family [[Ursidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small> – bears
**** Family [[Procyonidae]] <small>Bonaparte, 1850</small> – raccoons, ringtails and coatis (also included red pandas as subfamily [[Ailurinae]], which is now treated as a family)
**** Family [[Mustelidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small> – badgers, otters, weasels and skunks (as subfamily [[Mephitinae]], now treated as family)
*** Superfamily [[Feliformia|Feloidea]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>
**** Family [[Viverridae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small> – civets and allies, including mongooses (now family [[Herpestidae]]), African palm civets (now family [[Nandiniidae]]) and  Asiatic linsangs (now family [[Prionodontidae]])
**** Family [[Hyaenidae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small> – hyenas
**** Family [[Felidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small> – cats
** Suborder [[Pinnipedia]]<small> Iliger, 1811</small>
*** Family [[Otariidae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1825</small> – eared seals
*** Family [[Odobenidae]] <small>J. A. Allen, 1880</small> – walruses
*** Family [[Phocidae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small> – earless seals

Since then, however, the methods in which mammalogists use to assess the phylogenetic relationships among the carnivoran families has been improved with using more complicated and intensive incorporation of genetics, morphology and the fossil record. Research into Carnivora phylogeny since 1945 has found [[Fissipedia]] to be paraphyletic in respect to Pinnipedia,<ref>{{Cite journal
|author1=Arnason, U. |author2=Gullberg, A. |author3=Janke, A. |author4=Kullberg, M. |title=Mitogenomic analyses of caniform relationships |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2007.06.019 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=863–74 |year=2007 |pmid=17919938|bibcode=2007MolPE..45..863A }}</ref> with pinnipeds being either more closely related to bears or to weasels.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Lento, G. M. |author2=Hickson, R. E. |author3=Chambers, G. K. |author4=Penny, D. |year=1995 |title=Use of spectral analysis to test hypotheses on the origin of pinnipeds |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=28–52 |pmid=7877495 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a040189|doi-access= }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Hunt, R. M. Jr. |author2=Barnes, L. G. |year=1994|title=Basicranial evidence for ursid affinity of the oldest pinnipeds|journal=Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History|volume=29|pages=57–67|url=https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_36692_basicranialevidenceforursidaff1990|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="Higdon 2007">{{Cite journal |author1=Higdon, J. W. |author2=Bininda-Emonds, O. R. |author3=Beck, R. M. |author4=Ferguson, S. H. |title=Phylogeny and divergence of the pinnipeds (Carnivora: Mammalia) assessed using a multigene dataset |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-216 |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |volume=7 |page=216 |year=2007 |issue=1 |pmid=17996107 |pmc=2245807 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2007BMCEE...7..216H }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal
|author1=Sato, J. J. |author2=Wolsan, M. |author3=Suzuki, H. |author4=Hosoda, T. |author5=Yamaguchi, Y. |author6=Hiyama, K. |author7=Kobayashi, M. |author8=Minami, S. |doi=10.2108/zsj.23.125 |title=Evidence from nuclear DNA sequences sheds light on the phylogenetic relationships of Pinnipedia: Single origin with affinity to Musteloidea |journal=Zoological Science |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=125–46 |year=2006 |pmid=16603806|hdl=2115/13508 |s2cid=25795496 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Flynn, J. J. |author2=Finarelli, J. A. |author3=Zehr, S. |author4=Hsu, J. |author5=Nedbal, M. A. |title=Molecular phylogeny of the Carnivora (Mammalia): Assessing the impact of increased sampling on resolving enigmatic relationships |doi=10.1080/10635150590923326 |journal=Systematic Biology |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=317–37 |year=2005 |pmid=16012099|doi-access=free }}</ref> The small carnivoran families Viverridae,<ref name="rspb2003">{{cite journal | last1 = Gaubert | first1 = P. | last2 = Veron | first2 = G. | year = 2003 | title = Exhaustive sample set among Viverridae reveals the sister-group of felids: the linsangs as a case of extreme morphological convergence within Feliformia | journal = Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | volume = 270 | issue = 1532| pages = 2523–2530 | doi = 10.1098/rspb.2003.2521 | pmid = 14667345 | pmc = 1691530 }}</ref> Procyonidae, and Mustelidae have been found to be [[polyphyletic]]:
* Mongooses and a handful of [[Madagascar|Malagasy]] endemic species are found to be in a clade with hyenas, with the Malagasy species being in their own family [[Eupleridae]].<ref name="Yoder & Flynn 2003">Anne D. Yoder and John J. Flynn 2003: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070612131729/http://www.biology.duke.edu/yoderlab/pdfs/ipYoderFlynnNHMad.pdf Origin of Malagasy Carnivora]</ref><ref name="Yoder et al">Yoder, A., M. Burns, S. Zehr, T. Delefosse, G. Veron, S. Goodman, J. Flynn. 2003: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070612131729/http://www.biology.duke.edu/yoderlab/pdfs/ipYoderFlynnNHMad.pdf Single origin of Malagasy Carnivora from an African ancestor – Letters to Nature]</ref><ref name="Gaubert et al 2005">Philippe Gaubert, W. Chris Wozencraft, Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela and Géraldine Veron. 2005 – Mosaics of Convergences and Noise in Morphological Phylogenies: What's in a Viverrid-Like Carnivoran?</ref>
* The African palm civet is a basal cat-like carnivoran.<ref name = MPE>{{Cite journal |title=Pattern and timing of diversification of the mammalian order Carnivora inferred from multiple nuclear gene sequences |first1=E. |last1=Eizirik |first2=W. J. |last2=Murphy |first3=K. P. |last3=Koepfli |first4=W. E. |last4=Johnson |first5=J. W. |last5=Dragoo |first6 = R. K. |last6=Wayne |first7=S. J. |last7=O'Brien |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |date=2010 |pages=49–63 |volume=56 |issue=1 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.033 |pmid=20138220|pmc=7034395 |bibcode=2010MolPE..56...49E }}</ref>
* The [[linsang]] is more closely related to cats.<ref name="HMW2009linsangs">{{cite book | last1 = Gaubert | first1 = P. | year = 2009 | chapter = Family Prionodontidae (Linsangs) | editor1-last = Wilson | editor1-first = D.E.| editor2-last = Mittermeier | editor2-first = R.A. | title = Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 | publisher = Lynx Ediciones | location=Barcelona | pages =170–173 | isbn = 978-84-96553-49-1}}</ref>
* Pandas are not procyonids nor are they a natural grouping.<ref name=Salesa>{{cite journal |author=Salesa, M. |author2=M. Antón |author3=S. Peigné |author4=J. Morales |year=2006 |title=Evidence of a false thumb in a fossil carnivore clarifies the evolution of pandas |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=103 |pages=379–382 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0504899102 |pmid=16387860 |issue=2 |pmc=1326154|bibcode=2006PNAS..103..379S |doi-access=free }}</ref> The giant panda is a true bear<ref name = "Yu2007">{{cite journal |last1=Yu |first1=Li |last2=Li |first2=Yi-Wei |last3=Ryder |first3=Oliver A. |last4=Zhang |first4=Ya-Ping |title=Analysis of complete mitochondrial genome sequences increases phylogenetic resolution of bears (Ursidae), a mammalian family that experienced rapid speciation| journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |date=2007 |volume=7 |issue=198 |pages=198 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-198 |pmid=17956639 |pmc=2151078 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2007BMCEE...7..198Y }}</ref><ref name="krause2008">{{Cite journal | last=Krause | first=J. | author2=Unger, T. | author3=Noçon, A. | author4=Malaspinas, A. | author5=Kolokotronis, S. | author6=Stiller, M. | author7=Soibelzon, L. | author8=Spriggs, H. | author9=Dear, P. H. | author10=Briggs, A. W. | author11=Bray, S. C. E. | author12=O'Brien, S. J. | author13=Rabeder, G. | author14=Matheus, P. | author15=Cooper, A. | author16=Slatkin, M. | author17=Pääbo, S. | author18=Hofreiter, M. | title=Mitochondrial genomes reveal an explosive radiation of extinct and extant bears near the Miocene-Pliocene boundary | journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology | volume=8 | issue=220 | page=220 | year=2008 | pmid=18662376 | pmc=2518930| doi=10.1186/1471-2148-8-220 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2008BMCEE...8..220K }}</ref> while the red panda is a distinct family.<ref name="Mehta2018">{{Cite journal |last1=Mehta |first1=R. S. |last2=Slater|first2=G. J.|last3=Law|first3=C. J.|date=2018 |title=Lineage Diversity and Size Disparity in Musteloidea: Testing Patterns of Adaptive Radiation Using Molecular and Fossil-Based Methods |journal=Systematic Biology |volume=67 |issue=1 |pages=127–144 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syx047 |pmid=28472434|issn=1063-5157|doi-access=free }}</ref>
* Skunks and stink badgers are placed in their own family, and are the sister group to a clade containing Ailuridae, Procyonidae and Mustelidae ''sensu stricto''.<ref>{{cite journal  |vauthors=Koepfli KP, Deere KA, Slater GJ, etal |title=Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation |journal=BMC Biol. |volume=6 |pages=4–5 |year=2008 |pmid=18275614 |doi=10.1186/1741-7007-6-10 |pmc=2276185 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Mehta2018"/>

Below is a table chart of the extant carnivoran families and number of extant species recognized by various authors of the first (2009<ref name="HMW2009">{{cite book |title=Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 |publisher=Lynx Ediciones |year=2009 |isbn=978-84-96553-49-1 |editor1-last=Wilson |editor1-first=D.E. |location=Barcelona |pages=1–728 |editor2-last=Mittermeier |editor2-first=R.A.}}</ref>) and fourth (2014<ref name="HMW2014">{{cite book |title=Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 4 |publisher=Lynx Ediciones |year=2014 |isbn=978-84-96553-93-4 |editor1-last=Wilson |editor1-first=D.E. |location=Barcelona |pages=1–614 |editor2-last=Mittermeier |editor2-first=R.A.}}</ref>) volumes of the ''Handbook of the Mammals of the World'':
{| class="wikitable"
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#c2c2a9"|'''Carnivora <small>Bowdich, 1821</small>'''
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#d9d9c1"|'''[[Feliformia]] <small>Kretzoi, 1945</small>'''
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[African palm civet|Nandinioidea]] <small>Pocock, 1929</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[African palm civet|Nandiniidae]] <small>Pocock, 1929</small>
|[[African palm civet]]
|[[Sub-Saharan Africa]]
|1
|''[[African palm civet|Nandinia binotata]]'' <small>(J. E. Gray, 1830)</small>
|[[File:Nandinia binotata, Manchester Museum.jpg|150px]]
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[Feloidea]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[Felidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>
|[[Felidae|Cats]] (including [[domestic cats]], [[tiger]]s, [[leopard]]s, [[jaguar]]s, [[lion]]s, [[cheetah]]s, [[ocelot]]s, etc.)
|[[Americas]], [[Africa]], and [[Eurasia]] (introduced to [[Madagascar]], [[Australasia]] and several islands)
|37
|''[[Cat|Felis catus]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|[[File:Felis catus-cat on snow.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Prionodontidae]] <small>Horsfield, 1822</small>
|[[Asiatic linsang]]s
|[[Indomalayan realm]]
|2
|''[[Banded Linsang|Prionodon linsang]]'' <small>(Hardwicke, 1821)</small>
|[[File:Prionodon linsang - Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria - Genoa, Italy - DSC02704.JPG|150px]]
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[Viverridae|Viverroidea]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[Viverridae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small>
|[[Civet]]s, [[Genet (animal)|genet]]s, and [[oyan]]s
|Southern [[Europe]], [[Indomalayan realm]], and [[Africa]] (introduced to [[Madagascar]])
|34
|''[[Large Indian civet|Viverra zibetha]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|[[File:Large Indian Civet, Viverra zibetha in Kaeng Krachan national park.jpg|150px]]
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[Herpestoidea]] <small>Bonaparte, 1845</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[Hyaenidae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small>
|[[Hyena]]s
|[[Africa]], the [[Middle East]], the [[Caucasus]], [[Central Asia]], and the [[Indian subcontinent]]
|4
|''[[Striped Hyena|Hyaena hyaena]]'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
|[[File:Hyena at chattbir zoo.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Herpestidae]] <small>Bonaparte, 1845</small>
|[[Mongoose]]s
|[[Iberian Peninsula]], [[Africa]], the [[Middle East]], the [[Caucasus]], [[Central Asia]], and the [[Indomalayan realm]]
|34
|''[[Egyptian mongoose|Herpestes ichneumon]]'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
|[[File:Herpestes_ichneumon_Египетский_мангуст,_или_фараонова_крыса,_или_ихневмо́н.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Eupleridae]] <small>Chenu, 1850</small>
|[[Galidiinae|Malagasy mongoose]]s and [[Euplerinae|civets]]
|[[Madagascar]]
|8
|''[[Eastern falanouc|Eupleres goudotii]]'' <small>Doyère, 1835</small>
|[[File:Eupleres goudotii - Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria - Genoa, Italy - DSC02711.JPG|150px]]
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#d9d9c1"|'''[[Caniformia]] <small>Kretzoi, 1945</small>'''
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[Canoidea]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[Canidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>
|[[Canidae|Dogs]] (including [[domestic dog]]s, [[wolf|wolves]], [[fox]]es, [[dingo]]es, [[jackal]]s, [[coyote]]s, etc.)
|[[Americas]], [[Africa]], and [[Eurasia]] (introduced to [[Madagascar]], [[Australasia]] and several islands)
|35
|''[[Dog|Canis familiaris]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|[[File:2013072515020909 MyDogs 622.jpg|150px]]
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[Ursoidea]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[Ursidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>
|[[Bear]]s
|[[Americas]] and [[Eurasia]]
|8
|''[[Brown bear|Ursus arctos]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|[[File:Kamchatka Brown Bear near Dvuhyurtochnoe on 2015-07-23.jpg|150px]]
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[Pinniped|Phocoidea]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[Odobenidae]] <small>J. A. Allen, 1880</small>
|[[Walrus]]es
|The [[North Pole]] in the [[Arctic Ocean]] and [[subarctic]] seas of the [[Northern Hemisphere]]
|1
|''[[Walrus|Odobenus rosmarus]]'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
|[[File:Walrus2.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Otariidae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1825</small>
|[[Eared seal]]s
|Subpolar, temperate, and equatorial waters throughout the [[Pacific]] and [[Southern Oceans|Southern]] Oceans and the southern [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and [[Atlantic]] Oceans
|15
|''[[South American sea lion|Otaria flavescens]]'' <small>(Shaw, 1800)</small>
|[[File:Southern Sea Lions.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Phocidae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1821</small>
|[[Earless seal]]s
|The [[sea]] and [[Lake Baikal]]
|18
|''[[Harbor seal|Phoca vitulina]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|[[File:White harbor seal on moss by Dave Withrow, NOAA.png|150px]]
|-
|colspan="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#ebebd2"|'''[[Musteloidea]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>'''
|-
! Family !! English name !! Distribution !! Number of extant species !! Type taxon !! Image figure
|-
|[[Mephitidae]] <small>Bonaparte, 1845</small>
|[[Skunk]]s and [[stink badger]]s
|[[Americas]], western [[Philippines]], and [[Indonesia]] and [[Malaysia]]
|12
|''[[Striped Skunk|Mephitis mephitis]]'' <small>(Schreber, 1776)</small>
|[[File:Skunk about to spray.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Ailuridae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1843</small>
|[[Red panda]]
|Eastern [[Himalayas]] and [[southwestern China]]
|1
|''[[Red panda|Ailurus fulgens]]'' <small>F. Cuvier, 1825</small>
|[[File:RedPanda SingalilaNationalPark DFrame.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Procyonidae]] <small>J. E. Gray, 1825</small>
|[[Procyon (genus)|Raccoon]]s, [[olingo]]s, [[ringtail]]s, [[coati]]s, [[cacomistle]]s, and [[kinkajou]]s
|[[Americas]] (introduced to [[Europe]], the [[Caucasus]], and [[Japan]])
|12
|''[[Raccoon|Procyon lotor]]'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
|[[File:Waschbaer auf dem Dach.jpg|150px]]
|-
|[[Mustelidae]] <small>G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817</small>
|[[Weasel]]s, [[otter]]s, [[wolverine]]s, [[polecat]]s, [[badger]]s, [[marten]]s, and [[Galictis|grisons]]
|[[Americas]], [[Africa]], and [[Eurasia]] (introduced to [[Australasia]] and several islands)
|57
|''[[Stoat|Mustela erminea]]'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
|[[File:Stoat - RSPB Sandy (28058976023).jpg|150px]]
|-
|}