Acinonyx aicha

Acinonyx aicha Temporal range: Pliocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Felidae
Subfamily:	Felinae
Genus:	Acinonyx
Species:	†A. aicha
Binomial name
†Acinonyx aicha Geraads, 1997

Acinonyx aicha is an extinct felid species belonging to the genus Acinonyx . It was first described in 1997 based on fossils from the Pliocene of Morocco. ^[1]

Discovery and naming

A.aicha was discovered in the Ahl al Oughlam site in Morocco, from the late Pliocene. ^[1] It is known from the holotype AaO-1456 which is a complete and disfigured skull, as well as maxilla and some teeth. ^{[1] [2]} The specific name is derived from a cheetah called Ayesha from TinTin, specifically from The Red Sea Sharks ^[1]

Description

The cranial lacks a strong convexity compared to other species, such as the cheetah, and the zygomatic arch also suggest a normal temporal fossa. ^{[1] [2]} The skull also includes a very concave glenoid cavity, which is limited by a string rim. ^[1] The upper teeth are longer than A.pardensis and longer relative to the width, and the anterior tubercle is much less developed compared to the posterior, especially compared to other species. ^[1]

References

1. Geraads, D. (1997). "Carnivores du Pliocène terminalde Ahl al Oughlam (Casablanca, Maroc)" [Terminal Pliocene carnivores from Ahl al Oughlam (Casablanca, Morocco)]. Geobios (in French). 30 (1): 127–164. doi:10.1016/s0016-6995(97)80263-x.
2. "Plio-Pleistocene Carnivora of northwestern Africa: A short review". Comptes Rendus Palevol (in French). 7 (8): 591–599. 2008. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2008.09.008.