The Carnivore family tree below was redrawn from information at Dr. David L. Atkins' web page* on the Order Carnivora. The tree was recently updated with information from an article by Arnason et al.: Biologically speaking, the Truth about Cats and Dogs seems to be that they represent the two major branches of the Carnivore family tree -- the dog/bear branch and the cat branch.

The hallmark of the Carnivores is their carnassial teeth. The premolars and molars have high, sharp compressed crowns that shear past each other like a paper cutter. If you have a cat or dog that can be trusted not to bite you, you can feel these teeth for yourself. Types of Carnivores that can be seen at the Fort Worth Zoo are indicated by arrows.

Each of the Carnivore families below has been identified by the common name of major species included in the family. However, since some of these families include less obvious family members, an expanded list is below: