Serval along with the caracal and the African golden cat, forms one of the eight lineages of Felidae. According to a 2006 genetic study, the "Caracal" lineage came into existence 8.5 mya, and the ancestor of this lineage arrived in Africa 8.5–5.6 mya. The phylogenetic relationships of the serval are as follows: The name "Leptailurus" may have been constructed from the medieval Greek λεπταλέος or λεπτός meaning "fine, delicate". The name "serval" could have been derived from the Medieval Latin words "Lupus cervalis" ("deer-like wolf") or from its Portuguese equivalent "lobo-cerval" (referring to the Iberian lynx). The first recorded use of
Creature Catalogue found in the Basic, Expert, Companion and Master rulesets. Each creature in the book is illustrated, and the entries in the book are ordered by type rather than just alphabetically. This includes six sections: Animals (including giant and extinct varieties), Conjurations (such as elementals and golems), Humanoids, Lowlife (including insects, plants, and jellies and slimes), Monsters (a catch-all category), and Undead. The Intelligence score of each monster is listed with the rest of its statistics. The book also includes a comprehensive index of all monsters by environment, and Frank Mentzer's guide on how to balance encounters according to the levels