Into which major suborder of Carnivora do weasels fall, contrasting with the cat-like Feliformia?
Answer
Caniformia
The Order Carnivora is broadly divided into two major suborders based on shared evolutionary traits, particularly skull and dental morphology: Caniformia and Feliformia. Weasels, belonging to the family Mustelidae, are placed within the Caniformia suborder. This grouping implies they share a more distant evolutionary connection with dog-like carnivores, bears, and pinnipeds than they do with the cat-like suborder (Feliformia), which includes cats, hyenas, and mongooses. This division within *Carnivora* helps classify the specific evolutionary trajectory of the weasel lineage toward the dog-like branch of the order.
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