Geographical Division & Distribution of Carnivora

The distribution of carnivorous animals across the Earth.

This impressive steel-engraved sheet incorporates a number of interesting visual elements to highlight the spread of the Carnivora order across the globe. Though the name implies all meat-eaters, the monophyletic order is restricted to placental mammals that include the common ancestor of all cats and dogs, as well as various sub-families of bats, bears, weasels, and more.

The main image shows the limitations of various genera, with shading representing the ‘intensity’ of each species. A ‘perpendicular distribution of the Carnivora’ in the center-left takes inspiration from Humboldt in its visualization of the habitats of various life forms, while additional diagrams in the corners show the types of Carnivora in the New World and the Old World.

Designed by Alexander Keith Johnston and published by William Blackwood & Sons in 1856.