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10h ago

Ancient 'American Cheetah' Is a Puma Relative, Genomes Show

A Current Biology paper published Sept. 4, 2026 finds Miracinonyx trumani lived as far north as the Yukon, fed largely on fish in the Arctic, and carried genetic losses that raise new questions about its extinction risk.

© Velizar Simeonovski
Two Miracinonyx hunt in this artistic rendering. A new study says the cheetah-like species which roamed the Yukon 30,000 years ago developed a unique fish diet to survive. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Julius Csotonyi (Mandatory Credit)
Image
Miracinonyx trumani and the ecosystem this species lived in. Image credit: Julius Csotonyi.

Overview

  • The study published Sept. 4, 2026 sequenced high-coverage nuclear genomes from four Miracinonyx fossils and placed the species as a sister lineage to modern pumas that split about 2.6 million years ago.
  • Three Yukon specimens dated to roughly 23,000–31,000 years ago extend the species’ confirmed range roughly 20 degrees of latitude farther north into Beringia than previously documented.
  • Stable isotope analysis shows a sharp regional diet split: the Yukon individuals have nitrogen signatures consistent with heavy fish consumption, while a Wyoming specimen ate terrestrial herbivores.
  • Genomes from Yukon and Wyoming samples reveal low genetic diversity and shared loss-of-function mutations, including in two circadian genes, suggesting long-term vulnerability rather than a sudden collapse.
  • Authors say the findings overturn simple ‘American cheetah’ assumptions based on body shape, call for broader sampling across the species’ range, and imply past ecological stories—such as the pronghorn–predator link—may need rethinking.