Miracinonyx
Extinct genus of mammal / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Miracinonyx (colloquially known as the "American cheetah") is an extinct genus of felids belonging to the subfamily Felinae that was endemic to North America from the Pleistocene epoch (about 2.5 million to 16,000 years ago) and morphologically similar to the modern cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), although its apparent similar ecological niches have been considered questionable due to anatomical morphologies of the former that would have limited the ability to act as a specialized pursuit predator.[1][2] The genus was originally known from fragments of skeletons, but nearly complete skeletons have been recovered from Natural Trap Cave in northern Wyoming.[3]
Miracinonyx | |
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Artist's rendition of M. trumani | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | Felidae |
Subfamily: | Felinae |
Genus: | †Miracinonyx Adams, 1979 |
Type species | |
†Miracinonyx inexpectata Cope, 1895 | |
Species | |
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Synonyms | |
M. inexpectatus synonymy
M. trumani synonymy
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The two species commonly identified are M. inexpectatus and M. trumani. Sometimes, a third species, M. studeri, is included, but it is more often listed as a junior synonym of M. inexpectatus. M. inexpectatus ranged from the Blancan to Irvingtonian ages of North America while M. trumani was exclusive to the Rancholabrean age.[1][4]