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Taxonomy

The jaguar, Panthera onca, is the only extant New World member of the Panthera genus. DNA evidence shows that the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, , and share a common ancestor and that this group is between six and ten million years old; the fossil record points to the emergence of Panthera just two to 3.8 million years ago. studies generally have shown that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is to this group. The position of the remaining species varies between studies and is effectively unresolved. Many studies place the snow leopard within the genus Panthera but there is no consensus whether the scientific name of the snow leopard should remain Uncia uncia or be moved to Panthera uncia.

Based on morphological evidence, British concluded that the jaguar is most closely related to the leopard. However, DNA evidence is inconclusive and the position of the jaguar relative to the other species varies between studies. Fossils of extinct Panthera species, such as the (Panthera gombaszoegensis) and the (Panthera atrox), show characteristics of both the lion and the jaguar. Analysis of jaguar has dated the species lineage to between 280,000 and 510,000 years ago, later than suggested by fossil records.

The last taxonomic delineation of the jaguar subspecies was performed by Pocock in 1939. Based on geographic origins and skull , he recognized eight subspecies. However, he did not have access to sufficient specimens to critically evaluate all subspecies, and he expressed doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized.

Recent studies have also failed to find evidence for well defined subspecies, and are no longer recognized. Larson (1997) studied the morphological variation in the jaguar and showed that there is north–south variation, but also that the differentiation within the supposed subspecies is larger than that between them and thus does not warrant subspecies subdivision. A genetic study by Eizirik and coworkers in 2001 confirmed the absence of a clear geographical subspecies structure, although they found that major geographical barriers such as the limited the exchange of genes between the different populations. A subsequent, more detailed, study confirmed the predicted population structure within the jaguars.

Pocock's subspecies divisions are still regularly listed in general descriptions of the cat. Seymore grouped these in three subspecies.

The canonical Mammal Species of the World continues to recognize nine subspecies, the eight subspecies above and additionally P. o. paraguensis.

Ecology

The jaguar has been attested in the fossil record for two million years and it has been an American cat since crossing the during the ; the immediate ancestor of modern animals is Panthera onca augusta, which was larger than the contemporary cat. Its present range extends from Mexico, through Central America and into South America, including much of Amazonian Brazil. The countries included in this range are , , , , , (particularly on the ), , , , , , , , , , , and . The jaguar is now extinct in El Salvador and . It occurs in the 400 km² in Belize, the 5,300 km² Reserve in Mexico, the approximately 15,000 km² in Peru, the approximately 26,000 km² in Brazil, and numerous other reserves throughout its range.

The inclusion of the United States in the list is based on occasional sightings in the southwest, particularly in , and . In the early 1900s, the jaguar's range extended as far north as Southern and western Texas. The jaguar is a protected species in the United States under the , which has stopped the shooting of the animal for its pelt. In 2004, wildlife officials in Arizona photographed and documented jaguars in the southern part of the state. For any permanent population to thrive, protection from killing, an adequate prey base, and connectivity with Mexican populations are essential.

The historic range of the species included much of the southern half of the United States, and in the south extended much farther to cover most of the South American continent. In total, its northern range has receded 1000 kilometers southward and its southern range 2000 km northward. Ice Age fossils of the jaguar, dated between 40,000 and 11,500 years ago, have been discovered in the United States, including some at an important site as far north as . Fossil evidence shows jaguars of up to 190 kg (420 lb), much larger than the contemporary average for the animal.

The habitat of the cat includes the rain forests of and , open, seasonally flooded wetlands, and dry grassland terrain. Of these habitats, the jaguar much prefers dense forest; the cat has lost range most rapidly in regions of drier habitat, such as the Argentinian , the arid grasslands of Mexico, and the southwestern United States. The cat will range across tropical, subtropical, and dry deciduous forests (including, historically, oak forests in the United States). The jaguar is strongly associated with water and it often prefers to live by rivers, swamps, and in dense rainforest with thick cover for stalking prey. find cheap gas for Jaguars have been found at elevations as high as 3800 m, but they typically avoid mountain forest and are not found in the high plateau of central Mexico or in the Andes.

The adult jaguar is an apex predator, meaning that it exists at the top of its food chain and is not preyed on in the wild. The jaguar has also been termed a keystone species, as it is assumed, through controlling the population levels of prey such as herbivorous and granivorous mammals, apex felids maintain the structural integrity of forest systems. However, accurately determining what effect species like the jaguar have on ecosystems is difficult, because data must be compared from regions where the species is absent as well as its current habitats, while controlling for the effects of human activity. It is accepted that mid-sized prey species see population increases in the absence of the keystone predators and it has been hypothesized that this has cascading negative effects, however, field work has shown this may be natural variability and that the population increases may not be sustained. Thus, the keystone predator hypothesis is not favoured by all scientists.

The jaguar also has an effect on other predators. The jaguar and the , the next largest feline of the Americas, are often (related species sharing overlapping territory) and have often been studied in conjunction. Where sympatric with the jaguar, the cougar is smaller than normal and is smaller than the local jaguars. The jaguar tends to take larger prey and the cougar smaller, reducing the latter's size. This situation may be advantageous to the cougar. Its broader prey niche, including its ability to take smaller prey, may give it an advantage over the jaguar in human-altered landscapes; while both are classified as species, the cougar has a significantly larger current distribution.

In mythology and culture

In Central and South America, the jaguar has long been a symbol of power and strength. The Chavín cult of the jaguar became accepted over most of what is today Peru by 900 BC. Concurrent with Chavin, the , the progenitor culture of , developed a distinct "were-jaguar" motif of sculptures and figurines showing stylized jaguars or humans with jaguar characteristics. The culture of Northern Peru used the jaguar as a symbol of power in many of their ceramics. In the later , the jaguar was believed to facilitate communication between the living and the dead and to protect the royal household. The Maya saw these powerful felines as their companions in the spiritual world, and kings were typically given a royal name incorporating the word jaguar. The Aztec civilization shared this image of the jaguar as the representative of the ruler and as a warrior. The formed an elite warrior class known as the . In , the jaguar was considered to be the animal of the powerful deity .

The jaguar is a of Brazil. In July 2007, the Brazilian President presented a list of four animals that should be preserved. In addition to the jaguar, the animals were the , and the blue parrot.[]

The jaguar has always had a great importance in Brazil, where the Indians used its fat. They believed it would give them great courage, as if it was magical. The fat was also rubbed onto the body of boys to make them strong and protect them against evil.[]

The jaguar is widely used as a symbol in contemporary culture. It is the national animal of , and is featured in its . It is widely used as a product name, most prominently for a . The name has been adopted by sports franchises, including 's and the Mexican national soccer league team the . The crest of in features a jaguar; however, because of a historic accident, the country's is nicknamed Los Pumas.