Was the ‘American cheetah’ a cheetah at all?

September 4, 2026 · 3:00 pm 2 sources

Image: Science News

Coverage

Coverage

• Was the ‘American cheetah’ a cheetah at all?
  Science News · September 4, 2026 15:00
  Ancient DNA confirms Miracinonyx trumani was more closely related to modern pumas than cheetahs and had a more varied diet than previously thought.

More coverage

• Not a cheetah: Ancient DNA reveals the surprising Arctic life of extinct North American cat
  Phys.org · September 4, 2026 15:00
  A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has overturned decades of assumptions about Miracinonyx trumani, the extinct predator popularly known as the American cheetah. By analyzing nuclear paleogenomes and stable isotopes from fossils found as far north as the…