Miracinonyx

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Miracinonyx
Temporal range: Pleistocene
~2.5–0.016  Ma
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Miracinonyx (american cheetah).png
Artist's rendition of M. trumani
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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
  • †M. inexpectatus(Cope, 1895) sensu Adams, 1979
  • †M. trumani(Orr, 1969) sensu Adams, 1979
Synonyms
M. inexpectatus synonymy
  • Crocuta inexpectataCope, 1895
  • Uncia inexpectata(Cope, 1895) sensu Cope, 1899
  • Felis longricusBrown, 1908
  • Felis concolorBrown, 1908
  • Smilodontopsis mooreheadiHay, 1922
  • Felis (Puma) inexpectata(Cope, 1895) sensu Simpson, 1941
  • Felis studeriSavage, 1960
  • Acinonyx studeri(Savage, 1960) sensu Kurtén & Anderson, 1980
  • Acinonyx inexpectatus(Cope, 1895) sensu Kurtén & Anderson, 1980
M. trumani synonymy
  • Felis concolorWilson, 1942
  • Felis trumaniOrr, 1969
  • Acinonyx trumani(Orr, 1969) sensu Kurtén & Anderson, 1980

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]

Contents

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]

Discovery and naming

The first fossils attributed to Miracinonyx were several isolated teeth from Port Kennedy Bone Cave from Pennsylvania, dating back to the Irvingtonian age. The American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope originally considered these to be related to the spotted hyena, and described the material as Crocuta inexpectata in 1895. [5] However, in 1899 he reclassified the specimens as Uncia inexpectata, considering them closely related to the snow leopard. [6]

More fossil material was recovered from deposits of similar age in Maryland and Arkansas, where in 1941 American paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson found them all belonging to the same animal, one he considered to be more closely related to the cougar (Puma concolor), naming the animal as Felis (Puma) inexpectata. [7]

A second species, Felis studeri, was described by D. E. Savage in 1960 based on a more complete material consisting of extensive postcranial and cranial material of the animal. [8] However, a 1976 review of fossil pumas from Kurtén considered F. inexpectata and F. studeri to be the same species, with F. inexpectata having priority. The other valid species (then as Felis trumani) was described in 1969 by Orr based on a complete skull from the Late Pleistocene found in Crypt Cave, Nevada. [1]

Taxonomy and evolution

Research into the American cheetah has been contradictory. It was originally believed to be an early cougar representative, before being reclassified in the 1970s as a close relative of the cheetah. [9] This suggested that the ancestors of the cheetah diverged from the Puma lineage in the Americas and migrated back to the Old World, a claim repeated as recently as 2006 by Johnson et al., [10] and in 2015 by Dobrynin et al. [11] However, other research by Barnett and Faurby, through examining mitochondrial DNA and reanalyzing morphology, has suggested reversing the reclassification: the American cheetah developed cheetah-like characteristics through parallel evolution, but it is most closely related to Puma and not to the modern cheetah of Africa and Asia. [1] [12] [13] Moreover, Faurby notes that no Acinonyx fossils have been found in North America, and no Miracinonyx fossils elsewhere. However, O'Brien et al. (2016) posit that the supposed homoplasy between the genera is controversial, as it is asserted that is not necessarily any conclusive anatomical or genetic basis for dismissing a homologous relationship between Acinonyx and Miracinonyx. [14] The veracity of the origin of the modern cheetah is also debated; however, Miracinonyx is believed to have evolved from cougar-like ancestors, regardless of whether in the Old World or the New World. [15]

The cougar and M. trumani are believed to have split from a cougar-like ancestor around three million years ago; [12] where M. inexpectatus fits in is unclear, although it is probably a more primitive version of M. trumani. [16]

Below is the phylogeny from Chimento and Dondas (2017) when describing the earliest known fossil record of cougars in South America. As shown here, they found Miracinonyx to be a sister taxon to Puma (though in their paper they considered the former genus to be an extinct subgenus of the latter). [17]

†Miracinonyx

†M. inexpectatus

†M. trumani

Puma

In 1979 Adams found these animals to be intermediates in size and morphology between cheetahs and cougars and decided to placed them in their own genus Miracinonyx. The name is a combination of the Latin mīrus ('wonderful') and Acinonyx , the cheetah family, itself a combination of the Greek ἀκίνητος (akī́nētos) meaning 'unmoved' or 'motionless' and ὄνυξ (ónyx) meaning 'nail' or 'hoof'. [9]

Description

It is proposed that Miracinonyx is thought to be an instance of parallel evolution with the cheetah of the Acinonyx genus, but recent studies suggest that it was not specialized in chasing like the cheetah was since it retained retractable claws that would have crippled its ability to run fast. Instead, it was more closely related to the cougar, and at least M. trumani might have employed a hunting behavior that has no modern analogues, suggesting that it running fast like the cheetah is a common misconception. Additionally, the injuries that led to the death of a sub-adult Miracinonyx according to a 2022 research article by John-Paul Michael Hodnett et al suggest that Miracinonyx felids regularly engaged in fighting similar to the extant puma and most other cats and unlike the cheetah, where instances of cheetah individuals fighting each other are rare, further bringing doubts of convergence. [2] [4] [18] Miracinonyx species were larger than a modern cheetah and similar in size to a modern North American cougar. The body mass was typically around 70 kg (150 lb), with a head-and-body length of 170 cm (67 in), tail length around 92 cm (36 in), and shoulder height of 85 cm (33 in). [19] Large specimens could have weighed more than 95 kg (209 lb). [20] Miracinonyx most likely preyed on mountain goats (Oreamnus americanus), horses (Equus sp.) and especially pronghorns (Antilocapra americana), which still exhibit morphological adaptations to outrun Miracinonyx. [21] [22] [23] [24]

Behavior

Fossils from Arizona show that American cheetahs were territorial animals, with evidence of pathologies being found on some of the bones. [25] [26] [27]

M. inexpectatus, ranging from the Blancan to Irvingtonian ages, and was more similar to the cougar in build than M. trumani. [4] [15] Fossil remains of M. inexpectatus found in Hamilton Cave in West Virginia show that this creature lived with and competed with other large cats like jaguars (Panthera onca) and the saber-toothed cat ( Smilodon sp.). [1] [28]

M. trumani, exclusive to the Rancholabrean age, was more cursorial and Cheetah-like then M. inexpectatus, [4] [15] however unlike cheetahs both species retained fully retractable claws. [2]

Miracinonyx hunted cursorial prey like Antilocapra (such as the modern pronghorn) as well as the extinct Tetrameryx and Stockoceros [21] , and horses (Equus sp.), as well as bighorn sheep and mountain goats. [4]

Fossil distribution

Artist's reconstruction of M. inexpectatus Miracinonyx inexpectatus.jpg
Artist's reconstruction of M. inexpectatus

Fossil remains of Miracinonyx have been found across the United States and as far south as Mexico. [29] Fossils of M. trumani have been found in Arizona, [30] [31] New Mexico, Florida, Wyoming, [32] Colorado, [33] Nebraska, South Carolina, [34] Maryland, and Pennsylvania. [35] The most complete finds of M. trumani are from the Natural Trap Cave in northern Wyoming. [36]

Fossils of M. inexpectatus have also been found in Florida, [37] [38] [39] Texas, [40] Colorado, Georgia, [34] South Carolina, [34] [41] Pennsylvania, Maryland, [42] and California. [43] [44] In 2022, the skeletal remains of a M. inexpectatus were retrieved from a cave in southwestern Virginia. [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheetah</span> Large feline of the genus Acinonyx

The cheetah is a large cat and the fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. It reaches 67–94 cm (26–37 in) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m. Adults weigh between 21 and 72 kg. The cheetah is capable of running at 93 to 104 km/h ; it has evolved specialized adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail.

Panthera is a genus within the family Felidae, it is one of two extant genera in the subfamily Pantherinae, and contains the largest living members of the cat family. There are 5 living species, the tiger, jaguar, lion, leopard and snow leopard and a number of extinct species.

<i>Acinonyx</i> Genus of carnivores

Acinonyx is a genus within the Felidae family. The only living species of the genus, the cheetah, lives in open grasslands of Africa and Asia.

The term "big cat" is typically used to refer to any of the five living members of the genus Panthera, namely the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard, as well as the non-pantherine cheetah and cougar.

<i>Dinofelis</i> Extinct genus of carnivores

Dinofelis is an extinct genus of machairodontine, usually classified in the tribe Metailurini. It was widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America from 5 million to about 1.2 million years ago. Fossils very similar to Dinofelis from Lothagam range back to around 8 million years ago, in the Late Miocene.

<i>Smilodon</i> Extinct genus of saber-toothed cat

Smilodon is a genus of felids belonging to the extinct subfamily Machairodontinae. It is one of the best known saber-toothed predators and prehistoric mammals. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely related to the tiger or other modern cats. Smilodon lived in the Americas during the Pleistocene epoch. The genus was named in 1842 based on fossils from Brazil; the generic name means "scalpel" or "two-edged knife" combined with "tooth". Three species are recognized today: S. gracilis, S. fatalis, and S. populator. The two latter species were probably descended from S. gracilis, which itself probably evolved from Megantereon. The hundreds of specimens obtained from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles constitute the largest collection of Smilodon fossils.

<i>Homotherium</i> Extinct genus of carnivores

Homotherium is an extinct genus of machairodontine scimitar-toothed cat that inhabited North America, South America, Eurasia, and Africa during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs from around 4 million to 12,000 years ago. In comparison to Smilodon, the canines of Homotherium were shorter, and it was probably adapted to running down rather than ambushing prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaguarundi</span> Species of felid

The jaguarundi is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-sized cat of slender build. Its coloration is uniform with two color morphs, gray and red. It has an elongated body, with relatively short legs, a small, narrow head, small, round ears, a short snout, and a long tail, resembling mustelids in these respects. It is about twice as large as a domestic cat, reaching nearly 360 mm (14 in) at the shoulder, and weighs 3.5–7 kg (7.7–15.4 lb).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American lion</span> Extinct species of carnivore

Panthera atrox, better known as the American lion, also called the North American lion, or American cave lion, is an extinct pantherine cat. Panthera atrox lived in North America during the Pleistocene epoch, from around 340,000 to 12,800 years ago. The species was initially described by American paleontologist Joseph Leidy in 1853 based on a fragmentary mandible (jawbone) from Mississippi; the species name ('atrox') means "savage" or "cruel". The status of the species is debated, with some mammalogists and paleontologists considering it a distinct species or a subspecies of Panthera leo, which contains living lions. However, novel genetic evidence has shown that it is instead a distinct species derived from the Eurasian cave or steppe lion, evolving after its geographic isolation in North America. Its fossils have been excavated from Alaska to Mexico. It was about 25% larger than the modern lion, making it one of the largest known felids.

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<i>Megantereon</i> Extinct genus of saber-toothed cat from North America, Eurasia and Africa

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References

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  37. ↑ Scott, M.; Gary, S. (1987). Late Pliocene (Late Blancan) vertebrates from the St. Petersburg Times site, Pinellas County, Florida, with a brief review of Florida Blancan faunas. Florida Paleontological Society. OCLC   182860777.
  38. ↑ Simpson, G.G. (1929). Pleistocene mammalian fauna of the Seminole Field, Pinellas County, Florida. American Museum of Natural History. OCLC   729432.
  39. ↑ Martin, R. A. (1969). Fossil mammals of the coleman ILA local fauna, Sumter County, Florida. [s.n.] doi:10.5962/bhl.title.39853.
  40. ↑ Slaughter, B.H. (1966). "The Moore Pit Local Fauna; Pleistocene of Texas". Journal of Paleontology. 40 (1): 78–91. JSTOR   1301775.
  41. ↑ Kohn, M.J.; McKay, M.P.; Knight, J.L. (2005). "Dining in the Pleistocene—Who's on the menu?". Geology. 33 (8): 649–652. doi:10.1130/g21476ar.1. S2CID   55786870.
  42. ↑ Gidley, J.W. (1913). "Preliminary report on a recently discovered Pleistocene cave deposit near Cumberland, Maryland". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 46 (2014): 93–102. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.46-2014.93.
  43. ↑ "Fossil history of the panther (Puma concolor) and the cheetah-like cat (Miracinonyx inexpectatus) in Florida". ufdc.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  44. ↑ Trayler, Robin B.; Dundas, Robert G.; Fox-Dobbs, Kena; Van De Water, Peter K. (2015-11-01). "Inland California during the Pleistocene—Megafaunal stable isotope records reveal new paleoecological and paleoenvironmental insights". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 437: 132–140. Bibcode:2015PPP...437..132T. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.07.034. ISSN   0031-0182.
  45. ↑ Wade, S. (2022). "Caving team discovers, retrieves rare ice age-era cat skeleton from Southwest Virginia cave". Cardinal News. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
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