The Prionailurus species are estimated to have had a common ancestor between 8.16 to 4.53 million years ago,[1] and 8.76 to 0.73 million years ago.[2] The rusty-spotted cat possibly genetically diverged from this ancestor between 6.54 to 3.42 million years ago.[7] Both models agree in the rusty-spotted cat having been the first cat of this lineage that diverged, followed by the flat-headed cat (P. planiceps) and the fishing cat (P. viverrinus).[7][9] The following cladogram shows the phylogenetic relationships of the rusty-spotted cat as derived through analysis of nuclear DNA:[7][3]