Description
Life restoration of Acynonyx padrinensis
Date 2 November 2016 (according to Exif data)
Author Ratianidze
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acynonyx_padrinensis_restauration.jpg

The giant cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis) is an extinct species of big cat; its closest living relative is the modern cheetah. Giant cheetahs were present in Europe during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. The giant cheetah was found in Germany, France, and also in China and India. European cheetahs occurred alongside jaguars and leopards at some Middle Pleistocene localities, and competition among the three possibly contributed to the cheetah's decline. Its large mass and more worn claws (when compared to modern cheetahs) suggest it was less adapted to climbing, an ability that would continue to evolve until modern-day cheetahs appeared. Order: Carnivora, Family: Felidae, Species: Acinonyx pardinensis Croizet & Joubart, 1828