Paleogenomics reveals arctic range and local dietary specialization in the American \"cheetah\", <em>Miracinonyx trumani</em>

The extinct “American cheetah” (Miracinonyx trumani) has long been considered a North American ecological analog of the African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) based on convergent cursorial morphology, yet this paradigm rests on limited data and untested assumptions about its evolutionary relationships and ecology. Here, we generate nuclear paleogenomes from M. trumani specimens from Wyoming (~23 ka; thousand years ago) and Yukon (~31 ka), definitively placing this enigmatic felid within the evolutionary tree of cats. Phylogenomic analyses confirm M. trumani as sister to pumas (Puma concolor), not cheetahs, with divergence ~2.6 million years ago during rapid Plio-Pleistocene climate oscillations. The Yukon specimens extend the species' known range by over 20˚ latitude into the Arctic and stable isotope analyses reveal striking ecological differentiation, with the Yukon population occupying an elevated trophic position consistent with exploitation of anadromous fish while the Wyoming populati..., , # Data from: Paleogenomics reveals arctic range and local dietary specialization in the American \"cheetah\", *Miracinonyx trumani* Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.2ngf1vj3p](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2ngf1vj3p) ## Description of the data and file structure Data were collected to resolve the phylogenetic placement, biogeographic range, and paleoecology of *Miracinonyx trumani* (\"American cheetah\"). Data cover two specimen localities: Wyoming and Yukon . Stable isotope data include bulk stable isotope results for *Miracinonyx* specimens alongside published comparative data, as well as compound-specific stable isotope results, to facilitate dietary reconstruction and trophic position inference across populations. Genomic data include candidate genes identified through HyPhy BUSTED and aBSREL analyses testing for gene-wide and branch-specific positive selection, overlapping candidates between methods, SnpEff-predicted loss-of-function variants and associated missense mutation counts, and..., ,已灭绝的"美洲猎豹"（*Miracinonyx trumani*）长期以来被认为是非洲猎豹（*Acinonyx jubatus*）在北美的生态类比类群，其分类依据为趋同演化的奔跑形态特征，但这一学术范式仅基于有限的数据，且关于其演化关系与古生态学的相关假设尚未得到验证。本研究从怀俄明州（约23 ka，即23000年前）与育空地区（约31 ka，即31000年前）的*M. trumani*标本中获取了细胞核古基因组，明确将这一神秘的猫科动物置于猫科动物的演化树中。系统基因组学分析证实，*M. trumani*与美洲狮（*Puma concolor*）互为姊妹群，而非猎豹类群，二者的分化时间约为260万年前，正值上新世-更新世快速气候波动时期。育空地区的标本将该物种的已知分布范围向北扩展了超过20个纬度至北极区域；稳定同位素分析则揭示了显著的生态分化：育空种群的营养级水平较高，与其利用溯河洄游鱼类的食性相符，而怀俄明种群…… # 数据来源：《古基因组学揭示美洲"猎豹"（*Miracinonyx trumani*）的北极分布范围与局部食性特化》 数据集DOI：[10.5061/dryad.2ngf1vj3p](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2ngf1vj3p) ## 数据与文件结构说明 本数据集旨在厘清"美洲猎豹"（*Miracinonyx trumani*）的系统发育定位、生物地理分布范围与古生态学特征。数据涵盖两个标本采集地：怀俄明州与育空地区。稳定同位素数据包含*Miracinonyx*标本的整体稳定同位素检测结果与已发表的对比数据，以及化合物特异性稳定同位素检测结果，用于辅助开展种群间的食性重建与营养级水平推断。基因组数据包括通过HyPhy BUSTED与aBSREL分析鉴定的候选基因（用于检测全基因水平与分支特异性的正向选择）、两种分析方法的重叠候选基因、SnpEff预测的功能丧失变异及相关错义突变计数等……