Acinonyx jubatus

Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775) MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Craniodental. CD 3871, left P4 (Fig. 5H, I; Table 1); CD 9614 left I3. DIAGNOSIS AND DISCUSSION CD 3871 is an almost complete P4, just lacking the mesial border of the protocone.Despite this it can be seen that the protocone was much reduced in comparison with the pantherines. The ectoparastyle is very large, in contrast to Megantereon where there is no ectoparastyle (Christiansen & Adolfssen 2007; KA 64 pers. obs.). Other than the protocone being slightly more anteriorly placed in CD 3871 it is a very good match for the modern cheetah. The isolated lower incisor CD 9614 has a clear accessory cusp on the buccal surface and is a robust tooth with a relatively short crown. Other than the slight difference in the protocone position on the P4, the Cooper’s D specimens match those of the modern cheetah, and are referred to this species.
Published as part of O'Regan, Hannah J. & Steininger, Christine, 2017, Felidae from Cooper's Cave, South Africa (Mammalia: Carnivora), pp. 315-332 in Geodiversitas 39 (2) on page 326, DOI: 10.5252/g2017n2a8, http://zenodo.org/record/5206125
{"references":["SCHREBER J. C. D. 1775. - Die Saugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen. Vol. 2. Walther, Erlangen.","CHRISTIANSEN P. & ADOLFSSEN J. S. 2007. - Osteology and ecology of Megantereon cultridens SE 311 (Mammalia; Felidae; Machairodontinae), a sabrecat from the Late Pliocene - Early Pleistocene of Seneze, France. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151: 833 - 884. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.2007.00333. x"]}