Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae (the cats), which contains four well-known species:
Panthera tigris, the Tiger
Panthera leo, the Lion
Panthera pardus, the Leopard and
Panthera onca, the Jaguar.
One meaning of the word panther is to designate cats of this family - though it can also mean large black cats - see black panther. Only these four cat species have the anatomical changes enabling them to roar, due to a modification of the shape of their hyoid bone.