Not to tear open an old wound, but let’s take a closer look at this infamous picture: /i.imgur.com/kBVr5Uc.png/
I wouldn’t argue against what’s written here, as it’s a rough outline of intent, perhaps a marketing slogan to highlight the differences between a Hunter and the other physical DPS, the ranged weapon and the pet standing as the primary mode of differentiation. I don’t disagree with this.
I would only add that in practical reality this page appears to have taken its final manifestation into what later became the Marksmanship Tree.
From this picture, it is possible to arrive at the conclusion that MM was the original starting point for the Hunter class, with BM and SV perhaps developed afterwards. I also don’t disagree with this notion either, especially with the popularity of Legolas after the LOTR movies aired. I guarantee the servers were flooded with Night Elven Marksmen at launch.
Elements of what later became BM, the ‘Hunter Pets’ section, doesn’t do justice to the fully-fledged BM spec, and there is no mention of any Survival [Talent] in it as a third option.
That said, which was hopefully conveyed without malice, let’s carefully take a look at the post-launch Hunter Specialization symbols, which more accurately shows the finished product, here: /www.wowhead.com/classic/talent-calc/hunter/
We see the Tame Beast icon, representing BM.
Pet DPS.
We see a Bull’s-eye icon, representing MM.
Ranged DPS.
But what do we see for Survival?
What was its original capstone talent?
The rest is for you to investigate.