Acinonyx pardinensis
| Acinonyx pardinensis Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Skull, Museum of Paleontology in Florence, Italy | |
Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Subfamily: | Felinae |
| Genus: | Acinonyx |
| Species: | †A. pardinensis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Acinonyx pardinensis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Acinonyx pardinensis,sometimes called theGiant cheetah,is anextinctfelidspeciesbelonging to the genusAcinonyx,closely related to thecheetah,native to Eurasia during thePlioceneandPleistoceneepochs. It was substantially larger than the living cheetah.
Description
[edit]Acinonyx pardinensiswas roughly twice the size of today's cheetahs, weighing around 60–121 kg (132–267 lb),[2][3]thoughA. pleistocaenicuswas much larger.[4]The morphology of the skull shows some similarities with those ofpantherinecats and is not as short and deep as that of the modern cheetah.[5][6][7]The teeth greatly resemble that of a modern cheetah.[2]The limb bones, like those of a modern cheetah, were elongate relative to the animal's body size. The lumbar vertebrae were also elongate, suggesting the back was flexible. Compared to living cheetahs, the femur is more straight and the fibia is morerobustand not fused to the tibia. The humerus is also more robust.[8]
Classification
[edit]Acinonyx pardinensisis sometimes considered amacrospeciescontainingAcinonyx aicha,Acinonyx arvernensis,Acinonyx intermedius,Acinonyx pleistocaenicus,andSivapanthera linxiaensisas subspecies.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]
Acinonyx pardinensisis known from remains spanning from western Europe to China, spanning from theLate Plioceneto theMiddle Pleistocene.The true number of species ofAcinonyxin the Plio-Pleistocene of Eurasia is unclear.[2]
Paleobiology
[edit]
Like the modern cheetah,Acinonyx pardinensisis generally thought to have been adapted to running down prey. It probably took larger prey than living cheetahs, with estimated prey masses of 50–100 kilograms (110–220 lb),[2]though the idea that its ecology was similar to a modern cheetah has been contested by some authors, who suggest an ecology more similar to pantherine cats.[5]Due to its larger body size, it probably did not reach the same speeds as modern cheetah.[8]The morphology of its carnassial teeth suggest like modern cheetahs that it did not consume bone,[8]and probably left large parts of carcasses to other carnivores.[2]While a 2011 study suggested that it killed its prey by suffocation like a modern cheetah,[2]a 2014 study alternatively suggested thatAcinonyx pardinensislikely killed prey via a bite to the neck similar to pantherine cats.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Viret, J. (1954)."Le lœss à bancs durcis de Saint-Vallier (Drôme), et sa faune de mammifères villafranchiens (Avec une analyse granulométrique et une analyse pollinique)".Nouvelles Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Lyon.4:59.doi:10.3406/mhnly.1954.986.S2CID194646279.
- ^abcdefHemmer, Helmut; Kahlke, Ralf-Dietrich; Vekua, Abesalom K. (2011)."The cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis (Croizet et Jobert, 1828) s.l. at the hominin site of Dmanisi (Georgia) – A potential prime meat supplier in Early Pleistocene ecosystems".Quaternary Science Reviews.30(19–20). Elsevier: 2703–2714.Bibcode:2011QSRv...30.2703H.doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.05.024– via Science Direct.
- ^Anne Schmidt-Kuentzel, Laurie Marker, Lorraine K. Boast (2017).Cheetahs: Biology and Conservation.Elsevier Science. p. 30.ISBN9780128041208.Retrieved4 September2022.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^Jiangzuo, Q.; Wang, Y.; Madurell-Malapeira, J.; Bartolini Lucenti, S.; Li, S.; Wang, S.; Li, Z.; Yang, R.; Jia, Y.; Zhang, L.; Chen, S.; Jin, C.; Wang, Y.; Liu, J. (2024). "Massive early Middle Pleistocene cheetah from eastern Asia shed light onto the evolution ofAcinonyxin Eurasia ".Quaternary Science Reviews.332.108661.doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108661.
- ^abcdCherin, Marco; Iurino, Dawid Adam; Sardella, Raffaele; Rook, Lorenzo (March 2014)."Acinonyx pardinensis (Carnivora, Felidae) from the Early Pleistocene of Pantalla (Italy): predatory behavior and ecological role of the giant Plio–Pleistocene cheetah".Quaternary Science Reviews.87:82–97.Bibcode:2014QSRv...87...82C.doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.01.004.
- ^Geraads, Denis (January 2014)."How old is the cheetah skull shape? The case of Acinonyx pardinensis (Mammalia, Felidae)".Geobios.47(1–2): 39–44.Bibcode:2014Geobi..47...39G.doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2013.12.003.
- ^Cherin, Marco; Iurino, Dawid A.; Zanatta, Marco; Fernandez, Vincent; Paciaroni, Alessandro; Petrillo, Caterina; Rettori, Roberto; Sardella, Raffaele (2018-05-29)."Synchrotron radiation reveals the identity of the large felid from Monte Argentario (Early Pleistocene, Italy)".Scientific Reports.8(1): 8338.Bibcode:2018NatSR...8.8338C.doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26698-6.ISSN2045-2322.PMC5974229.PMID29844540.
- ^abcAnton, Mauricio (2016-12-16)."Sprint of the giant cheetah".chasing sabretooths.Retrieved2023-07-23.