Knowra Carnivora Carnivora Carnivora is an order of mammals that includes cats, dogs, bears, seals, and their relatives. Its members share distinctive carnassial teeth, though many have diets that are not primarily meat.
Carnassial : A paired set of upper and lower cheek teeth that shear food, especially flesh. These specialized teeth are a hallmark of many living carnivorans.
Carnassial shear : The slicing action produced when specialized upper and lower cheek teeth pass against one another. This shearing motion lets many carnivorans cut flesh efficiently.
Felidae : The mammal family containing cats, including lions, tigers, and domestic cats. Felids exemplify specialized predation within the cat-like branch.
Miacidae : An extinct assemblage of small carnivorous mammals from the Paleocene and Eocene, historically linked to modern carnivorans. Miacids help frame the fossil record near the early diversification of Carnivora.
Trophic cascade : An ecological chain reaction in which changes at one trophic level affect other levels. Large carnivorans can alter ecosystems by changing prey abundance and behavior.
Crown group : A group comprising the last common ancestor of living members of a lineage and all its descendants. Living Carnivora form a crown group whose ancestry anchors the order’s definition.
Canine tooth : A pointed tooth positioned between the incisors and cheek teeth, used for gripping, piercing, or tearing. Prominent canines help many species seize prey or defend themselves.
Canidae : The mammal family containing dogs, wolves, foxes, and their close relatives. Canids illustrate the social and dietary diversity of the dog-like branch.
Carnivoramorpha : A mammalian clade that includes Carnivora and its closest extinct relatives. This broader group places the order among related early meat-eating mammals.
Mesopredator release : An increase in medium-sized predators after larger predators decline or disappear. Removing top carnivorans can reshape the abundance of smaller predators.
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