Research overview: Miracinonyx, the American cheetah-like cat

The extinct American cheetah of the genus Miracinonyx superficially resembled the living cheetah, with adaptations for fast pursuit of swift prey such as the pronghorn. This overview surveys genetic and morphological evidence indicating that Miracinonyx was not a true cheetah but a close relative of the puma that evolved cheetah-like features convergently in North America. It discusses how this finding fits the placement of the living cheetah within a New World puma lineage, the role of convergent cursorial evolution in shaping felid body plans, and what the American cheetah reveals about the Pleistocene predator guild and the origins of the modern cheetah lineage.