Largest Cheetah Lived, and Killed, Among Ancient Humans

OpenYourEyes

http://www.livescience.com/15558-largest-cheetah-lived-killed-ancient-humans.html



The only remaining species of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) represents the fastest creatures on land alive, long, sleek cats able to run up to 70 mph (113 kph). However, fossils suggest other species of cheetah, including burlier varieties, once stalked the planet..........

.........Based on its arm and paw bones, the stoutly built cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis) weighed about 220 pounds (110 kilograms), or about double the weight of its modern cousin. (The oldest cheetah fossil known was a skull of Acinonyx kurteni found in China; the animal lived between 2.2 million and 2.5 million years ago.)............

I always find articles/discoveries like this interesting, and I love the illustrations although they are often flawed. That the article stresses that they lived "among" ancient man is a bit unnecessary though, in my opinion.

steddyeddy

I would have trouble imagining that running anywhere near as fast as the extant memebers of the cheetah family today.

Adam Khor

I posted about it in the paleontology forum.

It should be noted that its not a new species- just an old acquaintance found in a new place.