The Physics of Big Cats

Something many people do not realize is that cheetahs, while residing in the same general habitat as lions, are not even in the same genus as it. While considering this fact, recall all the big cats that can roar. These cats, including the lion, are in the Panthera genus and they have what is called an incompletely ossified hyoid. The hyoid is a bone found in animals’ necks and it aids in things like tongue and other muscle movements. If the ossification of this bone is not complete, it allows for an elongated vocal tract, thus making it possible for lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars to roar. An incompletely ossified hyoid may mean roaring, but it also means interrupting what is usually a constant purr. Cats of the Panthera genus only produce purring sounds while exhaling. But, if, as in the cheetahs case, the hyoid is complete, purring can be produce constantly on both inhale and exhale.