Not a cheetah: Ancient DNA reveals the surprising Arctic life of extinct North American cat

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has overturned decades of assumptions about Miracinonyx trumani, the extinct predator popularly known as the American cheetah. By analyzing nuclear paleogenomes and stable isotopes from fossils found as far north as the Yukon, scientists have discovered that this iconic cat was not a true cheetah but a highly adaptable relative of the puma that specialized in eating fish to survive in the Arctic.

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