Acinonyx kurteni
Encyclopedia
Acinonyx kurteni is an extinct species
of carnivorous feline
of the family
Felidae
, endemic to Asia during the Late Pliocene subepoch. It lived from 2.5 Ma—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .
It was described in 2008 and represents the most primitive cheetah
species ever discovered. The discovery therefore supports an Old World
origin of cheetahs. It shares some features with the modern cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, such as enlarged sinuses for air intake during sprinting, but its teeth show primitive features. It has since been proposed that the fossil is fake.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of carnivorous feline
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Felidae
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
, endemic to Asia during the Late Pliocene subepoch. It lived from 2.5 Ma—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .
It was described in 2008 and represents the most primitive cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
species ever discovered. The discovery therefore supports an Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
origin of cheetahs. It shares some features with the modern cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, such as enlarged sinuses for air intake during sprinting, but its teeth show primitive features. It has since been proposed that the fossil is fake.