Taxonomy and evolution American cheetah

restoration of m. inexpectatus

research american cheetah has been contradictory. believed cougar representative, before being reclassified in 1970s close relative of cheetah. suggested ancestors of cheetah diverged puma lineage in americas , migrated old world, claim repeated 2006 johnson et al., , in 2015 dobrynin et al. however, other research barnett , faurby, through examining mitochondrial dna , reanalyzing morphology, has suggested reversing reclassification: american cheetah developed cheetah-like characteristics through parallel evolution, closely related puma , not modern cheetah of africa , asia. moreover, faurby notes no acinonyx fossils have been found in north america, , no miracinonyx fossils elsewhere. however, o brien et al. (2016) posit supposed homoplasy between genera controversial, asserted not conclusive anatomical or genetic basis dismissing homologous relationship between acinonyx , miracinonyx. veracity of origin of modern cheetah debated; however, miracinonyx believed have evolved cougar-like ancestors, regardless of whether in old world or new world.

the cougar , m. trumani believed have split cougar-like ancestor around 3 million years ago; m. inexpectatus fits in unclear, although more primitive version of m. trumani.