I've been following and posting on a topic on the SE forum, all about introducing tigers to South Africa, which I still believe is a waste of time. Tigers will be eliminated. I also believe all modern felines will be gone. But let's say they survive. Actually, I do have a feline family listed on my checklist of mammals of the Metazoic, but they do not live past 5 million years after humans are gone. And there are only 7 species and all are tiny, shrew-like animals. But let's say they do survive. Deinognathids are on the rise, remember mammals of the future are more intelligent than their counterparts today. Deinognathids are descended from relatives of deer and antelope. Modern deer and antelope are rather intelligent. Sometimes intelligent enough to beat a persuing panther or cat. Cheetahs on the other hand, the only feline that can successfully kill a fast-moving gazelle 9 times out of 10, will more likely be extinct before the end of this century. Lions and leopards can also take on gazelles, but they are not as successful as cheetahs.
Cats on the other hand, do not hunt gazelles or deer. There are already antelope and deer that consume meat. They manage to shoulder-aside the remaining cats after the extinction event. Cats are forced to feed only on small insects. Thus, they get smaller to accomodate that diet. Except for those who live on remote islands, where there are no deinognathid seeds. Cats had better learn fast not to just kill everything they see and not eat it, otherwise they will starve eventually! Unfortunately, cats are born to see everything as something to kill off, whether they are hungry or not. So if they are pushed into the remote islands, and they just kill for the fun of it, all their prey will eventually die off, and thus so will they, unless they can learn to once again feed on insects, thus getting smaller to accomodate such a diet.
One person compared cats to sharks. They are NOT the same thing!! Sharks EAT everything they kill. Cats don't. Waste not, want not. This "kill all at all costs" will definately be their undoing if nothing else. Deinognathids on the other hand, have one advantage over felines, they are bipedal, with razor-sharp claws, and streamlined feet for running if necessary. The claws are just as sharp as those of a cat, and are even somewhat retractable. When at rest they fold their hands inward, keeping the claws concealed. They also sharpen their claws on tree trunks. Or cacti. They only use their claws when they grasp prey. This is the scenario I have for the Metazoic era. And why I feel felines themselves will not make it.
One of the people fighting hard against my opinion is now saying that Deinognathids are not believable. I should not feel too badly. This same person is also the one who believes megasquids will walk the Earth! LOL! I'll tell you, a bipedal, dinosaur-like predatory antelope is MUCH more believable than a mega-squid walking the Earth! The dinosaurs at least were very successful with that design for over 100 million years. There is no reason at all that design can't come back!! Like I said, it's MUCH more believable than mega-squids walking the earth. Make fun of my creations will ya?! Actually I am always the first to say everyone has a right to their own opinion. But it's the way this guy remarked on my animals on the forum that ticked me off!! And he turns around and believes in things like walking and tree-swinging squids. Sorry, but I will sooner believe antelope can turn into 50-foot long predators (or monotremes can turn into grazers) than I would believe a squid would ever behave like an elephant or a gibbon.
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