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American Cheetah Was Not a True Cheetah, New DNA Evidence Shows
Confirmed
In Short: The 'American cheetah' was not a true cheetah but rather a distant relative of pumas, according to new DNA analysis.
The 'American cheetah' (Miracinonyx trumani) was a North American predator that roamed the Pleistocene grasslands for nearly 2.5 million years, but new evidence suggests it was not a true cheetah. Instead, ancient DNA analysis reveals that its closest living relatives are pumas, not cheetahs.
This extinct feline, known for its slender, long-limbed body, earned its nickname due to its physical resemblance to the African cheetah. However, molecular ecologist Molly Cassatt-Johnstone from the University of California, Santa Cruz, argues that calling it the 'American cheetah' is misleading, as it implies specific behaviors and ecologies that may not have been accurate for this species.
Miracinonyx trumani inhabited North American grasslands from approximately 2.5 million to 16,000 years ago, and its fossils have been found alongside potential prey, indicating its role in the ecosystem during that period.
The findings challenge previous assumptions about the American cheetah's place in the feline family tree and highlight the importance of genetic analysis in understanding the evolutionary history of extinct species.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Further details were still being reported.