 Cougars are the largest of the small cats . They are placed in the subfamily Felinae , although their bulk characteristics are similar to those of the big cats in the subfamily Pantherinae . The family Felidae is believed to have originated in Asia about 11 million years ago . Taxonomic research on felids remains partial , and much of what is known about their evolutionary history is based on mitochondrial DNA analysis , as cats are poorly represented in the fossil record , and significant confidence intervals exist with suggested dates . In the latest genomic study of the Felidae , the common ancestor of today 's Leopardus , Lynx , Puma , Prionailurus , and Felis lineages migrated across the Bering land bridge into the Americas 8 @.@ 0 to 8 @.@ 5 million years ago ( Mya ) . The lineages subsequently diverged in that order . North American felids then invaded South America 3 Mya as part of the Great American Interchange , following formation of the Isthmus of Panama . The cougar was originally thought to belong in Felis ( Felis concolor ) , the genus which includes the domestic cat . As of 1993 , it is now placed in Puma along with the jaguarundi , a cat just a little more than a tenth its weight . 
 Cougars <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>are</mark></a>the largest of the small cats . They are placed in the subfamily Felinae , although their bulk characteristics <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>are</mark></a>similar to those of the big cats in the subfamily Pantherinae . The family Felidae is believed to <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>have</mark></a> originated in Asia about 11 million years ago . Taxonomic research on felids <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>remains</mark></a> partial , and much of what is known about their evolutionary history is based on mitochondrial DNA analysis , as cats are poorly represented in the fossil record , and significant confidence intervals exist with suggested dates . In the latest genomic study of the Felidae , the common ancestor of today <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>Leopardus , Lynx , Puma , Prionailurus , and Felis lineages migrated across the Bering land bridge into the Americas 8 @.@ 0 to 8 @.@ 5 million years ago ( Mya ) . The lineages subsequently diverged in that order . North American felids then invaded South America 3 Mya as part of the Great American Interchange , following formation of the Isthmus of Panama . The cougar was originally thought to belong in Felis ( Felis concolor ) , the genus which <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>includes</mark></a> the domestic cat . As of 1993 , it is now placed in Puma along with the jaguarundi , a cat just a little more than a tenth its weight . 
Cougars da largest of tdasmall cats . They are placed in thdaubfamily Felinae , although their bulk characteristics similar to those of the big cats in thedabfamily Pantherinae . The family Felidae is believed to done originated in Asia about 11 million years ago . Taxonomic research on felids remain partial , and much of what is known about their evolutionary history is based on mitochondrial DNA analysis , as cats are poorly represented in the dasil record , and significant confidence intervals exist with suggested dates . In the latest genomic study of the Felidae , the common ancestor of today  Leopardus , Lynx , Puma , Prionailurus , and Felis lineages migrated across the Bering land bridge into the Americas 8 @.@ 0 to 8 @.@ 5 million yrs ago ( Mya ) . The ldaages subsequently diverged in that order . North American felids then invaded South America 3 Mya as part of the Great American Interchange , following formation of the Isthmus of Panama . The codar was originally thought to belong in Felis ( Felis concolor ) , the genus which include the domdaic cat . As of 1993 , it is now placed in Puma along with the jagudandi , a cat just a lil more den a tenth its weight .