Evolution and taxonomy
Around 12 million years ago, the genus '' Felis'' appeared and eventually gave rise to many of the modern small cats. ''Felis lunensis'' was one of the first modern ''Felis'' species, appearing around 2.5 million years ago in the Pliocene. Fossil specimens of ''F. lunensis'' have been recovered in Italy and Hungary. Fossil evidence suggests the modern European wildcat '' Felis silvestris'' may have evolved from ''F. lunensis'' during the Middle Pleistocene. This has resulted in ''F. lunensis'' occasionally being considered a subspecies of ''Felis silvestris''. ''Felis lunensis'' first described by Alessandro Martelli in 1906 was a mandible excavated in Pliocene deposits near Olivola in Tuscany. The holotype specimen is now preserved in the collection of the University of Florence in Italy.References
Felis Prehistoric carnivorans of Europe Prehistoric felines Pleistocene life Fossil taxa described in 1906 {{paleo-carnivora-stub