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Acinonyx
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<h2 id="taxonomy">Taxonomy</h2> <p><i>Acinonyx</i> was proposed by <a href="/facts/Joshua_Brookes/DLv1HsBN">Joshua Brookes</a> in 1828.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p><p>Between the late 18th century and the early 20th century, the following <i>Acinonyx</i> species and <a href="/facts/Subspecies/4L9jFacF">subspecies</a> were described:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Cheetah/Lk963mfF"><i>Felis jubatus</i></a> by <a href="/facts/Johann_Christian_Daniel_von_Schreber/DolFxMzL">Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber</a> in 1777 was based on earlier descriptions by <a href="/facts/Georges-Louis_Leclerc,_Comte_de_Buffon/9LqPhlul">Comte de Buffon</a> and <a href="/facts/Thomas_Pennant/Skf5szzJ">Thomas Pennant</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Acinonyx_jubatus_venaticus/A0XNTQGB"><i>Felis venatica</i></a> by <a href="/facts/Edward_Griffith_(zoologist)/CY3sHb0H">Griffith</a> in 1821 was based on a sketch of a cheetah from India.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Acinonyx_jubatus_soemmeringii/2ulA9e0z"><i>Cynailurus soemmeringi</i></a> by <a href="/facts/Leopold_Fitzinger/cuQkxDR9">Fitzinger</a> in 1855 was a live male cheetah brought by <a href="/facts/Theodor_von_Heuglin/sBf1KG37">Theodor von Heuglin</a> to <a href="/facts/Tiergarten_Sch%C3%B6nbrunn/QPV81lkq">Tiergarten Schönbrunn</a> from <a href="/facts/Kordofan/CsWamCTD">Kordofan</a> in southern Sudan.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Acinonyx_jubatus_hecki/5LutlT1L"><i>Acinonyx hecki</i></a> by Hilzheimer in 1913 was a captive cheetah from Senegal in the <a href="/facts/Berlin_Zoological_Garden/uAGtJr0g">Berlin Zoological Garden</a>, named in honour of the zoo's director.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></li></ul></li></ul> <p>In 1993, <i>Acinonyx</i> was placed in the <a href="/facts/Monophyly/pD8Yrrn6">monophyletic</a> subfamily Acinonychinae. <a href="/facts/Molecular_phylogenetics/FysplHP5">Molecular phylogenetic analysis</a> has shown that it is the <a href="/facts/Sister_group/pNNuVex4">sister group</a> of the genus <a href="/facts/Puma_(genus)/lru4lE33"><i>Puma</i></a>, and it is now placed within the subfamily <a href="/facts/Felinae/pSaoHzNE">Felinae</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p>In addition, the following <a href="/facts/Fossil/by7NzIA1">fossil</a> <i>Acinonyx</i> species were described: </p> <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Acinonyx_pardinensis/ET44zHpT">Acinonyx pardinensis</a></i> by Croizet et Jobert in 1828<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></li> <li><i>Acinonyx arvernensis</i> by Croizet et Jobert in 1828<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Acinonyx_intermedius/yExrnW6b">Acinonyx intermedius</a></i> by Thenius in 1954<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Acinonyx_aicha/yExrnW6b">Acinonyx aicha</a></i> by Geraads in 1997<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a></li> <li><i>Acinonyx pleistocaenicus</i> by Zdansky in 1925<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a></li></ul> <p>The "Linxia Cheetah" (<a href="/facts/Acinonyx_kurteni/gn039yQ4">"<i>A. kurteni</i>"</a>) was initially described by Christiansen and Mazák in 2009 on the basis of a skull from Pliocene strata in China, and touted as the most primitive member of the genus.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> In 2012, "<i>A. kurteni</i>" was invalidated as a species when the <a href="/facts/Holotype/a8n9vhHa">holotype</a> was determined to be a forgery composed of Miocene-aged fragments.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/American_cheetah/QWpBpMCp">American cheetahs</a> of the related genus <i>Miracinonyx</i></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Genus Acinonyx". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–533. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. <a href="978-0-8018-8221-0" target="_blank">978-0-8018-8221-0</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Krausman, P. R. & Morales, S. M. (2005). "Acinonyx jubatus" (PDF). Mammalian Species (771): 1–6. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2005)771[0001:aj]2.0.co;2. S2CID 198969000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024054/http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i1545-1410-771-1-1.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024054/http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i1545-1410-771-1-1.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Hemmer, H.; Kahlke, R.-D.; Keller, T. (2008). "Cheetahs in the Middle Pleistocene of Europe: Acinonyx pardinensis (sensu lato) intermedius (Thenius, 1954) from the Mosbach Sands (Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany)". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. 249 (3): 345–356. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2008/0249-0345. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Krausman, P. R. & Morales, S. M. (2005). "Acinonyx jubatus" (PDF). Mammalian Species (771): 1–6. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2005)771[0001:aj]2.0.co;2. S2CID 198969000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024054/http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i1545-1410-771-1-1.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024054/http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i1545-1410-771-1-1.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Brookes, J. (1828). "Section Carnivora". A catalogue of the Anatomical and Zoological Museum of Joshua Brookes. London: Richard Taylor. p. 16. <a href="https://archive.org/details/b22475886/page/16" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/b22475886/page/16</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Genus Acinonyx". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–533. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. <a href="978-0-8018-8221-0" target="_blank">978-0-8018-8221-0</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Schreber, J. C. D. (1777). "Der Gepard". Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (Dritter Theil). Erlangen: Wolfgang Walther. pp. 392–393. <a href="https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schreber1875textbd3/0112/image" target="_blank">https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schreber1875textbd3/0112/image</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Griffith, E. (1821). "Felis venatica". General and particular descriptions of the vertebrated animals, arranged conformably to the modern discoveries and improvements in zoology. Order Carnivora. London: Baldwin, Cradock and Joy. <a href="https://archive.org/details/generalparticula00grif/page/n149" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/generalparticula00grif/page/n149</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Fitzinger, L. (1855). "Bericht an die kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenchaften über die von dem Herrn Consultatsverweser Dr. Theodor v. Heuglin für die kaiserliche Menagerie zu Schönbrunn mitgebrachten lebenden Thiere". Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe. 17: 242–253. <a href="https://archive.org/details/sitzungsbericht171855kais/page/244" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/sitzungsbericht171855kais/page/244</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Hilzheimer, M. (1913). "Über neue Gepparden nebst Bemerkungen über die Nomenklatur dieser Tiere". Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin (5): 283–292. <a href="https://archive.org/details/sitzungsberichte1913gese/page/n311" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/sitzungsberichte1913gese/page/n311</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Genus Acinonyx". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–533. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. <a href="978-0-8018-8221-0" target="_blank">978-0-8018-8221-0</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Croizet, J. B.; Jobert, A. C. G. (1862). Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles du département du Puy-de-Dôme. Paris: Chez les principaux libraires. <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Croizet, J. B.; Jobert, A. C. G. (1862). Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles du département du Puy-de-Dôme. Paris: Chez les principaux libraires. <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Thenius, E. (1954). "Gepardreste aus dem Altquartär von Hundsheim in Niederösterreich". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte: 225–238. <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Geraads, D. (1997). "Carnivores du Pliocène terminalde Ahl al Oughlam (Casablanca, Maroc)". Geobios. 30 (1): 127–164. Bibcode:1997Geobi..30..127G. doi:10.1016/s0016-6995(97)80263-x. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280858487" target="_blank">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280858487</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>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 of Acinonyx in Eurasia". Quaternary Science Reviews. 332. 108661. Bibcode:2024QSRv..33208661J. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108661. <a href="/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Christiansen, P.; Mazák, J. H. (2009). "A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (2): 512–515. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106..512C. doi:10.1073/pnas.0810435106. PMC 2626734. PMID 19114651. (Retracted, see doi:10.1073/pnas.1211510109, PMID 22908293, Retraction Watch) <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626734" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626734</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Knevitt, O. (2011). "Five Greatest Palaeontology Fakes Of All Time #5: The Linxia Cheetah". Science 2.0. Retrieved 13 January 2013. <a href="http://www.science20.com/between_death_and_data/5_greatest_palaeontology_fakes_all_time_5_linxia_cheetah" target="_blank">http://www.science20.com/between_death_and_data/5_greatest_palaeontology_fakes_all_time_5_linxia_cheetah</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>Mazák, J. H. (2012). "Retraction for Christiansen and Mazák. A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109 (37): 15072. Bibcode:2012PNAS..10915072.. doi:10.1073/pnas.1211510109. PMC 3443189. PMID 22908293. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3443189" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3443189</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>