Top 10 similar words or synonyms for miracinonyx

tapejara    0.844463

grangeri    0.830417

jubatus    0.829980

trumani    0.820174

machairodus    0.819832

acinonyx    0.817806

proteles    0.817477

quetzalcoatlus    0.813012

mammuthus    0.807909

lambeosaurus    0.807331

Top 30 analogous words or synonyms for miracinonyx

Article Example
Cheetah Extinct North American cats resembling the cheetah had historically been assigned to "Felis", "Puma" or "Acinonyx". However, a phylogenetic analysis in 1990 placed these species under the genus "Miracinonyx". "Miracinonyx" exhibited a high degree of similarity with the cheetah. However, in 1998, a DNA analysis showed that "Miracinonyx inexpectatus", "M.studeri", and "M.trumani" (early to late Pleistocene epoch), found in North America, are not true cheetahs; in fact, they are close relatives of the cougar.
Acinonychini Perhaps the most controversial among the acinonychines are the so-called "American cheetahs" of the extinct genus "Miracinonyx". There were two species of American cheetahs, "M. trumani" and "M. inexpectatus". Initially thought to be closely related to "Puma", in the 1970s researchers had placed "Miracinonyx" as either a subgenus of "Acinonyx" or a distinct genus related to cheetahs. This was based on similarities on in the skull and jaw structure, and the arrangement of the teeth. It was then postulated that cheetahs had originated from North America and migrated to Eurasia and Africa. More complete specimens discovered in 1990, however, have shown that while "Miracinonyx" skull and body proportions do resemble cheetahs, the postcranial skeleton shows closer affinity to "Puma" and perhaps "Sivapanthera". A 2005 study examining mitochondrial DNA and re-analyzing morphology found that "Miracinonyx" is nested within "Puma", as "M. trumani" and "M. inexpectatus" were found to be more closely to cougars than either of them to cheetahs. A more comprehensive genomic study also strongly supported the convergence between Old World and American cheetahs. This implies that Old World cheetahs and American cheetahs had undergone convergent evolution with each other and only pumas have colonized the Americas. Therefore, "Puma" is not a natural genus meaning that either "Miracinonyx" is a subgenus of "Puma", or scientists would have to reevaluate "P. pardoides" as "Viretailurus pardoides" and "P. pumoides" and "P. yagouaroundi" as "Herpailurus pumoides" and "H. yagouaroundi" respectively in order to make "Miracinonyx" distinctive. Those who still support "Miracinonyx" being related to cheetahs question the strength of the molecular data, suggesting evidence of molecular homoplasy.
American cheetah The American cheetah ("Miracinonyx") is an extinct genus of at least two feline species, which were endemic to North America during the Pleistocene epoch (2.6 Ma – 12,000 years ago) and morphologically similar to the modern cheetah ("Acinonyx jubatus"). These cats are only known from fragments of skeletons.
Felidae The list follows McKenna and Bell's "Classification of Mammals" for prehistoric genera. "Pseudaelurus" is included in the Felinae as per McKenna & Bell, despite its basal position in felid evolution. Inconsistent with McKenna and Bell, three additional prehistoric genera, "Miracinonyx", "Lokontailurus" and "Xenosmilus", are listed. "Sivapanthera" is included in the Felinae (not Acinonychinae) and "Ischrosmilus" is included in the genus "Smilodon".
Acinonyx Several other species of cheetah-like cats have existed since the late Pliocene epoch but have now become extinct. These cats occupied not only Africa, but parts of Europe and Asia as recently as 10,000 years ago. Several similar species, classified in the genus "Miracinonyx", lived in North America at the same time; however, these may have been more closely related to pumas.