Acinonyx pardinensis a.k.a.‭ ‬Giant Cheetah

Ah-se-non-ix par-den-sis.
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Emily Green

Paleobotanist

Emily Green brings the ancient world of plants to life through her insightful research and engaging writing. Her expertise lies in examining how prehistoric vegetation influenced climate patterns and animal evolution.

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Name

Acinonyx pardinensis.

Phonetic

Ah-se-non-ix par-den-sis.

Named By

Brookes‭ ‬-‭ ‬1828.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Carnivora,‭ ‬Felidae,‭ ‬Acinonyx.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

Size

Roughly about‭ ‬90‭ ‬centimetres high at the shoulder.‭ ‬Body length about‭ ‬200‭ ‬centimetres long,‭ ‬tail and additional‭ ‬140‭ ‬centimetres in length.

Known locations

Across Europe,‭ ‬Asia and Africa with fossils located in Austria,‭ ‬China,‭ ‬France,‭ ‬Germany,‭ ‬India,‭ ‬Italy,‭ ‬Kenya,‭ ‬Morocco,‭ ‬Russia,‭ ‬South Africa,‭ ‬Spain,‭ ‬Tajikistan and Tanzania.

Time Period

End of the Pliocene/Early Pleistocene through to the Holocene.

Fossil representation

Remains of many individuals revealing most of the skull and skeleton.

In Depth

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Acinonyx pardinensis‭ (‬Carnivora,‭ ‬Felidae‭) ‬from the Early Pleistocene of Pantalla‭ (‬Italy‭)‬:‭ ‬predatory behavior and ecological role of the giant Plio-Pleistocene cheetah.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Quarternary Science Reviews‭ ‬87‭ ‬82-97‭ ‬-‭ ‬Marco Cherin,‭ ‬Dawid Adam Iurino,‭ ‬Raffaele Sardella‭ & ‬Lorenzo Rool‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT