For decades, scientists thought North America had its own cheetah; ancient DNA reveals the extinct cat split from the puma lineage 2.6 million years ago
Representative Image (AI-generated) Its appearance told one story; its DNA tells another. For decades, the extinct Miracinonyx trumani was known as the “American cheetah” because its long legs, slender body and adaptations for speed made it look remarkably similar to Africa’s modern cheetahs. But a new genetic study has overturned that long-held picture. Published in…
