Editing Acinonyx

{{Short description|Genus of carnivores}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Pliocene]] – [[Holocene]], {{fossilrange|3|0}}
| image = Cheetah Botswana.jpg
| image_caption = [[Cheetah]] (''Acinonyx jubatus'')
| taxon = Acinonyx
| authority = [[Joshua Brookes|Brookes]], 1828
| type_species = ''[[Acinonyx jubatus|Felis jubata]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Schreber]], 1775
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = *''[[Cheetah|Acinonyx jubatus]]''
*{{extinct}}''[[Acinonyx aicha]]''
*{{extinct}}''[[Acinonyx intermedius]]''
*{{extinct}}''[[Acinonyx pardinensis]]''
*{{extinct}}''[[Acinonyx pleistocaenicus]]''
| synonyms = *''Cynailurus'' {{small|Wagner, 1830}}
*''Cynofelis'' {{small|Lesson, 1842}}
*''Guepar'' {{small|Boitard, 1842}}
*''Gueparda'' {{small|Gray, 1843}}
*''Guepardus'' {{small|Duvernoy, 1834}}
*''Paracinonyx'' {{small|[[Miklós Kretzoi|Kretzoi]], 1929}}
}}

'''''Acinonyx''''' is a [[genus]] within the [[Felidae]] [[family (biology)|family]].<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft |pages=532–533 |id=14000005 |heading=Genus ''Acinonyx''}}</ref> The only living [[species]] of the genus, the [[cheetah]] (''A. jubatus''), lives in open [[grassland]]s of Africa and Asia.<ref name=Krausman2005>{{cite journal |last1=Krausman |first1=P. R. |last2=Morales |first2=S. M. |name-list-style=amp |year=2005 |title=''Acinonyx jubatus'' |journal=Mammalian Species |issue=771 |pages=1–6 | doi=10.1644/1545-1410(2005)771[0001:aj]2.0.co;2 |s2cid=198969000 |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i1545-1410-771-1-1.pdf |access-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703024054/http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i1545-1410-771-1-1.pdf |archive-date=3 July 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Several [[fossil]] remains of cheetah-like cats were [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavated]] that date to the late [[Pliocene]] and [[Middle Pleistocene]].<ref name=Hemmer2008>{{cite journal |author=Hemmer, H. |author2=Kahlke, R.-D. |author3=Keller, T. |year=2008 |title=Cheetahs in the Middle Pleistocene of Europe: ''Acinonyx pardinensis'' (sensu lato) ''intermedius'' (Thenius, 1954) from the Mosbach Sands (Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany) |journal=Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen |volume=249 |issue=3 |pages=345–356 |doi=10.1127/0077-7749/2008/0249-0345}}</ref> These cats occurred in Africa, parts of Europe and Asia about 10,000 years ago. Several similar species classified in the genus ''[[Miracinonyx]]'' lived in North America at the same time; these may have been more closely related to the genus ''[[Puma (genus)|Puma]]''.<ref name=Krausman2005/>

== Taxonomy ==
''Acinonyx'' was proposed by [[Joshua Brookes]] in 1828.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brookes |first1=J. |year=1828 |title=A catalogue of the Anatomical and Zoological Museum of Joshua Brookes |location=London |publisher=Richard Taylor |pages=16 |chapter=Section Carnivora |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/b22475886/page/16}}</ref>

Between the late 18th century and the early 20th century, the following ''Acinonyx'' species and [[subspecies]] were described:<ref name=msw3/>
* [[Cheetah|''Felis jubatus'']] by [[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber]] in 1777 was based on earlier descriptions by [[Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon|Comte de Buffon]] and [[Thomas Pennant]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Schreber, J. C. D. |year=1777 |chapter=Der Gepard |title=Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (Dritter Theil) |publisher=Wolfgang Walther |location=Erlangen |pages=392–393  |chapter-url=https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schreber1875textbd3/0112/image}}</ref>
** [[Acinonyx jubatus venaticus|''Felis venatica'']] by [[Edward Griffith (zoologist)|Griffith]] in 1821 was based on a sketch of a cheetah from India.<ref>{{cite book |author=Griffith, E. |year=1821 |title=General and particular descriptions of the vertebrated animals, arranged conformably to the modern discoveries and improvements in zoology. Order Carnivora |location=London |publisher=Baldwin, Cradock and Joy |chapter=''Felis venatica'' |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/generalparticula00grif/page/n149}}</ref>
** [[Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii|''Cynailurus soemmeringi'']] by [[Leopold Fitzinger|Fitzinger]] in 1855 was a live male cheetah brought by [[Theodor von Heuglin]] to [[Tiergarten Schönbrunn]] from [[Kordofan]] in southern Sudan.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fitzinger |first1=L. |year=1855 |title=Bericht an die kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenchaften über die von dem Herrn Consultatsverweser Dr. Theodor v. Heuglin für die kaiserliche Menagerie zu Schönbrunn mitgebrachten lebenden Thiere |journal=Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe |volume=17 |pages=242–253 |url=https://archive.org/details/sitzungsbericht171855kais/page/244}}</ref>
** [[Acinonyx jubatus hecki|''Acinonyx hecki'']] by [[:de: Max Hilzheimer|Hilzheimer]] in 1913 was a captive cheetah from Senegal in the [[Berlin Zoological Garden]], named in honour of the zoo's director.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hilzheimer |first1=M. |year=1913 |title=Über neue Gepparden nebst Bemerkungen über die Nomenklatur dieser Tiere |journal=Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin |issue=5 |pages=283–292 |url=https://archive.org/details/sitzungsberichte1913gese/page/n311}}</ref>
In 1993, ''Acinonyx'' was placed in the [[Monophyly|monophyletic]] subfamily Acinonychinae. [[Molecular phylogenetics|Molecular phylogenetic analysis]] has shown that it is the [[sister group]] of the genus [[Puma (genus)|''Puma'']], and it is now placed within the subfamily [[Felinae]].<ref name=msw3/>

In addition, the following [[fossil]] ''Acinonyx'' species were described:
* ''[[Acinonyx pardinensis]]'' by Croizet et Jobert in 1828<ref name=C&J1828>{{cite book |author1=Croizet, J. B. |author2=Jobert, A. C. G. |year=1862 |title=Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles du département du Puy-de-Dôme |publisher=Chez les principaux libraires |location=Paris}}</ref>
* ''[[Acinonyx arvernensis]]'' by Croizet et Jobert in 1828<ref name=C&J1828/>
* ''[[Acinonyx intermedius]]'' by Thenius in 1954<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thenius |first1=E. |year=1954 |title=Gepardreste aus dem Altquartär von Hundsheim in Niederösterreich |journal=Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte |pages=225–238}}</ref>
* ''[[Acinonyx aicha]]''  by Geraads in 1997<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Geraads |first1=D. |year=1997 |title=Carnivores du Pliocène terminalde Ahl al Oughlam (Casablanca, Maroc) |journal=Geobios |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=127–164 |doi=10.1016/s0016-6995(97)80263-x |bibcode=1997Geobi..30..127G |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280858487}}</ref>
* ''[[Acinonyx pleistocaenicus]]'' by Zdansky in 1925<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Jiangzuo |first1=Q. |last2=Wang |first2=Y. |last3=Madurell-Malapeira |first3=J. |last4=Bartolini Lucenti |first4=S. |last5=Li |first5=S. |last6=Wang |first6=S. |last7=Li |first7=Z. |last8=Yang |first8=R. |last9=Jia |first9=Y. |last10=Zhang |first10=L. |last11=Chen |first11=S. |last12=Jin |first12=C. |last13=Wang |first13=Y. |last14=Liu |first14=J. |year=2024 |title=Massive early Middle Pleistocene cheetah from eastern Asia shed light onto the evolution of ''Acinonyx'' in Eurasia |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |volume=332 |at=108661 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108661|bibcode=2024QSRv..33208661J }}</ref>

The "Linxia Cheetah" ([[Acinonyx kurteni|"''A. kurteni''"]]) was initially described by Christiansen and Mazák in 2009 on the basis of a skull from Pliocene strata in China, and touted as the most primitive member of the genus.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Christiansen |first1=P. |last2=Mazák |first2=J. H. |title=A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=106 |pages=512–515 |year=2009 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0810435106 |pmid=19114651 |issue=2 |pmc=2626734|bibcode=2009PNAS..106..512C |doi-access=free }} {{Retracted|doi=10.1073/pnas.1211510109|pmid=22908293|http://retractionwatch.com/2012/08/20/author-retracts-pnas-about-alleged-pliocine-cheetah-fossil-that-had-been-questioned/ ''Retraction Watch''|intentional=yes <!-- text of article explains that this is now invalid -->}}</ref> In 2012, "''A. kurteni''" was invalidated as a species when the [[holotype]] was determined to be a forgery composed of Miocene-aged fragments.<ref>{{Cite web |last = Knevitt | first = O. | title=Five Greatest Palaeontology Fakes Of All Time #5: The Linxia Cheetah | publisher = Science 2.0 |year=2011 |url=http://www.science20.com/between_death_and_data/5_greatest_palaeontology_fakes_all_time_5_linxia_cheetah  | access-date = 13 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | author = Mazák, J. H.| title = Retraction for Christiansen and Mazák. A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=109 |issue=37 |pages=15072 |year=2012 |pmid= 22908293 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1211510109 |pmc=3443189| bibcode = 2012PNAS..10915072. | doi-access = free }}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[American cheetah]]s of the related genus ''Miracinonyx''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{Feliformia|Fel.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q481907}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Acinonyx| ]]
[[Category:Carnivoran genera]]
[[Category:Mammal genera with one living species]]
[[Category:Extant Pliocene first appearances]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Joshua Brookes]]
[[Category:Felines]]