 The African wildcat is part of an evolutionary lineage that is estimated to have genetically diverged from the common ancestor of the "Felis" species around , based on analysis of their nuclear DNA.Analysis of their mitochondrial DNA indicates a genetic divergence from "Felis" at around .Both models agree in the jungle cat ("F. chaus") having been the first "Felis" species that diverged, followed by the black-footed cat ("F. nigripes"), the sand cat ("F. margarita") and then the African wildcat.