Future of Feral Cats

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Future of Feral Cats
Topic Started: Jun 27 2008, 12:27 PM (1,935 Views)
Livyatan	Jun 27 2008, 12:27 PM Post #1
Posts: 1,998 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: May 24, 2008 Area of expertise: Future Evolution Favorite Quote: "Knowledge never springs from faith. It springs from doubt." - Humayun Azad Nationality: American	I think its been agreed here over and over that cats are amazingly versatile and adaptable. So why not share species ideas? Some of their greatest success as far as speciators will be in the many island ecosystems they have been introduced to: Paul Volkov, author of the Neocene Project, has a species of small, viverrid like cat that lives in Madagascar along with giant guinea fowl. My own mongoose-like cat is a native of the Galapagos, a common opportunistic predator and scavenger. You also may know of my forest cat, Sylvailurus, a large feral cat that is roughly an equivalent of a puma or leopard. There will likely be feral cats in Britain, mainland Eurasia, and several Pacific island chains. It is possible they might establish permanent populations in Australasia, but myself and Paul both prefer to discredit this.
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Carlos	Jun 27 2008, 12:29 PM Post #2
Adveho in me Lucifero Posts: 11,702 Group: Members Member #5 Joined: May 31, 2008 Gender: Male Nationality: Portugayse Favorite Quote: Blame is the playing of children and is given to many like a gift that cannot be returned. Acceptance is the tool of the mature that is rarely loaned out.	I think that,in the future, cats might become Earth's dominant preadatory mammalian group.
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Livyatan	Jun 27 2008, 12:31 PM Post #3
Posts: 1,998 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: May 24, 2008 Area of expertise: Future Evolution Favorite Quote: "Knowledge never springs from faith. It springs from doubt." - Humayun Azad Nationality: American	Well, I wouldn't discredit mongooses, mustelids, and certain canids; cats serve as good apex predators and intermediate carnivores but could never fill all predatory niches: they have a specially adapted carnivore profile, that is both limited and adaptable.
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Ànraich	Jun 28 2008, 08:56 AM Post #4
L'évolution Spéculative est moi Posts: 9,258 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: May 27, 2008	They will at least be a major global predator.
	We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself


Troodontidae	Jun 28 2008, 10:45 PM Post #5
melts Posts: 86 Group: Members Member #18 Joined: Jun 24, 2008 Gender: Female Nationality: Okie Favorite Quote: Steve: Over here! I was peeing on a tree and it froze midstream.	They are very versitile, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd take over the world and evolve into different forms.
	http://michelle56.deviantart.com/ http://s13.zetaboards.com/AnimalFans - died...


Livyatan	Jun 29 2008, 07:29 PM Post #6
Posts: 1,998 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: May 24, 2008 Area of expertise: Future Evolution Favorite Quote: "Knowledge never springs from faith. It springs from doubt." - Humayun Azad Nationality: American	I think we agree that they are versatile, but what about ideas for what they might become?
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Carlos	Jun 30 2008, 01:42 AM Post #7
Adveho in me Lucifero Posts: 11,702 Group: Members Member #5 Joined: May 31, 2008 Gender: Male Nationality: Portugayse Favorite Quote: Blame is the playing of children and is given to many like a gift that cannot be returned. Acceptance is the tool of the mature that is rarely loaned out.	I've made a list of possible ecological niches they might occupy: -small marten like predators (like modern ones) -large predators (like modern felines of the genus Panthera) -fast runners (like modern cheetahs; however, I think its unlikely they develop these forms, due to competion with canines) -gliding predators (they are good tree climbers, so...) -otter like fish eaters (some modern felines already hunt fish)
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Saxophlutist	Jun 30 2008, 11:14 AM Post #8
Adult Posts: 727 Group: Members Member #8 Joined: May 31, 2008	Something is for certain though; Cats will most likely return to desert, where the species originally evolved. More heavily coat cats like persians (assuming they can survive out of captivity) will stay up north. There are the water loving cats which will stay near shorelines possibly.



Livyatan	Jun 30 2008, 12:17 PM Post #9
Posts: 1,998 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: May 24, 2008 Area of expertise: Future Evolution Favorite Quote: "Knowledge never springs from faith. It springs from doubt." - Humayun Azad Nationality: American	JohnFaa Jun 30 2008, 01:42 AM I've made a list of possible ecological niches they might occupy: -small marten like predators (like modern ones) -large predators (like modern felines of the genus Panthera) -fast runners (like modern cheetahs; however, I think its unlikely they develop these forms, due to competion with canines) -gliding predators (they are good tree climbers, so...) -otter like fish eaters (some modern felines already hunt fish) I don't see why fast runners could not evolve. Canines are built for endurance and are typically pack-dwelling. Its very unlikely they would take the niche of a cheetah. I also doubt that gliding cats will evolve, because cats are already avid hunters of birds and yet a gliding species has not evolved. Gliding predators are a severe rarity, which means it doesn't prove to be much of an advantage.
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Crembaw	Jul 3 2008, 01:42 PM Post #10
Made of Fat Posts: 26 Group: Members Member #25 Joined: Jul 1, 2008	There are many cats that actually DO enjoy water. Maybe we'd see, if not full-fledged aquatic forms, at least otter-like ones with paddle feet or tails. Edited by Crembaw, Jul 3 2008, 01:43 PM.
	Light, Strong, Cheap. Choose any two.


Livyatan	Jul 4 2008, 03:54 AM Post #11
Posts: 1,998 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: May 24, 2008 Area of expertise: Future Evolution Favorite Quote: "Knowledge never springs from faith. It springs from doubt." - Humayun Azad Nationality: American	I don't think the specialization would go much further than that of a fishing cat, though. I think the otter niche is already well guarded by the otters themselves.
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Carlos	Jul 7 2008, 03:09 AM Post #12
Adveho in me Lucifero Posts: 11,702 Group: Members Member #5 Joined: May 31, 2008 Gender: Male Nationality: Portugayse Favorite Quote: Blame is the playing of children and is given to many like a gift that cannot be returned. Acceptance is the tool of the mature that is rarely loaned out.	Yes, but some otter like mammals besides otters already exist today
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Livyatan	Jul 7 2008, 05:22 PM Post #13
Posts: 1,998 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: May 24, 2008 Area of expertise: Future Evolution Favorite Quote: "Knowledge never springs from faith. It springs from doubt." - Humayun Azad Nationality: American	JohnFaa Jul 7 2008, 03:09 AM Yes, but some otter like mammals besides otters already exist today True, but it mostly non-otter inhabited regions.
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rodiel	Jul 15 2008, 04:16 AM Post #14
Just Curious Posts: 15 Group: Members Member #35 Joined: Jul 15, 2008 Gender: Female Nationality: Hungarian	Is there any chance for an intelligent feline someday? Also, I'd reckon an underground predator (seeking out groudhogs' tunnels and the like, and catching the critters inside their homes). My cat dug after a mole once...
	*---* "The child looks equally little towards the filing cabinet and the psychiatrist. But only the psychiatrist complains about that." (Beate Hermelin) “You're not intelligent beings.” “No, we're not. But don't tell that to the children. It'll break their hearts.” (Crest of the Stars)


Carlos	Jul 15 2008, 06:51 AM Post #15
Adveho in me Lucifero Posts: 11,702 Group: Members Member #5 Joined: May 31, 2008 Gender: Male Nationality: Portugayse Favorite Quote: Blame is the playing of children and is given to many like a gift that cannot be returned. Acceptance is the tool of the mature that is rarely loaned out.	An intelligent feline is possible, but there are so many intelligent mammals and birds that is difficult to predict who or what will be the future sentient race on Earth. As for borrowing cats, well, unlikely. There will still be mustelids and insectivores in the future
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