Hemmer H. 1979. Fossil history of living Felidae. Carnivore II:58-61.

The cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis  apparently inhabiting most open habitats of the Old World in the whole Villafranchian up to the lower Middle Pleistocene. Remains of this species have been found at several sites in Europe, northern China and India. Fossils cheetahs also exist in some African faunas of Lower Pleistocene or lower Middle Pleistocene age but are still concealed under other generic and specific names. The distributional history and the origin of the modern cheetah are completely unknown at present.

Le guépard Acinonyx pardinensis occupe apparemment la plupart des habitats ouverts de l'Ancien Monde pendant tout le Villafranchien jusqu'au Pléistocène Moyen Inférieur. Les restes de cette espèce ont été trouvé dans plusieurs sites d'Europe, au nord de la Chine et en Inde. Les fossiles de guépards existent également dans des faunes africaines de l'âge du Pléistocène Inférieur ou au Pléistocène Moyen Inférieur mais sont encore cachés sous d'autres genres et noms d'espèce. La distribution historique et l'origine du guépard actuel sont totalement inconnues.

Hemmer_1979_Fossil_history_of_living_Felidae.pdf

Johnson KR. 1995. Cheetah provides clue to pronghorn speed. Rocky Mountain News.

Paleontologists found fossil animals from a cave floor. This natural trap has preserved direct evidence that cheetahs lived in North America as recently as 18'000 years ago. This also explains why pronghorn in America evolved a high speed ability which was not explainable before finding the fossil predator.

Johnson_1995_Cheetah_Provides_Clue_to_Pronghorn_Speed.pdf

Kurtén B. 1968. The Giant Cheetah, Acinonyx pardinensis. In Pleistocene Mammals of Europe. Chicago, Illinois. Aldine Publishing Company; pp. 88-90.

The giant cheetah, Acinonyx pardinensis, equal in size to a modern lion, is known mainly from the Villafranchian, although it did survive in the early Middle Pleistocene, when it was clearly common in Europe, as well as in India and China. During this period, the giant cheetah was gradually reduced in size, approaching the living species closely enough to be classified within Acinonyx jubatus. Its presence in southern and central Europe during the Villafranchian, indicates that extensive grasslands were available even during the forest episodes.

Kurten_1968_The_giant_cheetah_in_Europe.pdf

Kurtén B, Anderson E. 1980. Jaguar, Panthera onca. Studer's Cheetah, Acionyx studeri. American Cheetah, Acinonyx trumani. Lake Cat, Felis lacustris. Ocelot, Felis pardalis. River Cat, Felis amnicola. Jaguarundi, Felis yagouaroundi. In Pleistocene Mammals of North America. New York: Columbia University Press; pp. 192-195.

The genus Acinonyx, was long thought to be endemic to the Old World. However, still under way, it was found that at least two North American species should be referred to this genus. In the Old World, the first Acinonyx appear at the beginning of the Villafranchian. It is possible that a common ancestor lived in North America in Hemphillian times. The Studer's cheetah (Acinonyx studeri) is a large form, close to the Old World Acinonyx pardinensis in size. The American cheetah (Acinonyx trumani) evidently descended from Acinonyx studeri, from which it differs mainly in its smaller size. A similar reduction may be observed in Old World cheetahs. The mode of life of the American species probably resembled that of the living cheetah.

Kurten_&_Anderson_1980_Pleistocene_cats_of_North_America.pdf

Martin LD, Gilbert BM, Adams DB. 1977. A cheetah-like cat in the North American pleistocene.
Science 195(4282), 981-982.

The discovery of abundant skeletal remains of Felis trumani from a late Pleistocene deposit in Wyoming shows that it was as highly modified for cursorial locomotion as the cheetah (Acinonyx). Several other Pleistocene felids that have been regarded as pumas seem to be related forms. The late Pleistocene fauna of the Big Horn Basin in Wyoming is dominated by cursorial taxa.

Martin_et_al_1977_Cheetah-like_cat_in_the_NAmerican_pleistocene.pdf

Schmieder J-U. 2000. Killing behavior in Smilodon fatalis (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) based on functional anatomy and body proportions of the front- and hind limbs [dissertation]. Geologisches Institut der Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen. 83 p.

Elongated canines exclusively evolved in carnivores, which are able to stabilize their victims with their anterior extremities. It was shown that power and agility of the front limbs are strongly correlated with the development of sabers. Limb- and skull proportions of the extinct cat Smilodon fatalis were therefore compared with those of six extant species of large felids and those of  Canis lupus. Furthermore, differences in hunting behavior and locomotory capabilities were analyzed. Ratios of limb segment lengths have been shown to relate to functional and locomotory differences (e.g., cursoriality) in both extinct and extant felines. S. fatalis is equipped with relatively short and sturdy limbs. Moreover, it possessed a great angle of inclination of the olecranon fossa relative to the long axis of the humerus, in addition to a wide and laterally oriented radial notch. The radial head was more circular than in any other extant cat member. Additionally, the Teres major muscle inserts further away from the shoulder joint and the joints are more powerfully built and demonstrate a great amount of strength and flexibility. It is very likely that Smilodon preyed on the large contemporary megafauna because of its overall more powerful anatomy compared to that of modern felines. Nevertheless, it is still a matter of dispute exactly, which hunting method S. fatalis applied. It is suggested that its massive forelimbs were employed to grasp and hold large prey, which was then pulled down and finally killed or fatally wounded with a canine shear bite applied to the throat or abdomen. In contrast, the lightly built Acinonyx jubatus is found exclusively in low structured habitats, consequently it has the relatively longest limbs of all large felids, the smallest angle of inclination of the olecranon fossa and an insertion of the T. major closer to the joint. Its prey usually weighs less than its own body weight. Bivariate regression analyses on log-transformed limb segment lengths were employed to test overall differences and scaling variations in limb proportions. Multivariate  factorial- and discriminant analysis were performed on a number of limb dimensions of all the examined species. Results reveal that cats can accurately be distinguished into three different categories upon these ratios (even across taxonomic boundaries): 1. Highly cursorial felines like the cheetah, 2. Pantherine cats, including the puma, 3. Dirk-toothed cats such S. fatalis, and X. hodsonae (scimitar-toothed felid with the morphology of dirk-toothed cat).

Schmieder_2000_Killing_behavior_in_Smilodon_fatalis.pdf

Shoshani J. 2004. Paleozoogeography and neozoogeography of mammals in Eritrea. Bulletin Carnegie Museum of Natural History 36:267-76.

The cheetah is mentioned among the mammals extinct in Eritrea.

Le guépard est éteint en Erythrée.

Shoshani_2004_Paleozoogeography_of_mammals_in_Eritrea.pdf

Vereshchagin NK. 1959. Cheetah. In Strelkov AA (ed). The mammals of the Caucasus - A History of the Evolution of the Fauna. Moskva - Leningrad: Izdatel'stovo Akademii Nauk SSSR; pp. 277-279.

In the Caucasus, cheetahs were first revealed in Middle Pleistocene strata of the Apsheron Peninsula. Its preferred biotopes in its distribution area is described. There are no documentary data on the occurrence of the cheetah in Caucasus in historical times. Some pictures of cheetahs have been found. The cheetah is mentioned in books giving some evidence of its presence in Russia during the 11th-12th centuries, trained for hunting and in another adjoining countries during the 14th and the 15th century. The disappearance of the cheetah from Transcaucasia and southern Asia is explained by the depletion of steppe ungulates and the intensive pursuit of young cheetahs for training.

Dans le Caucase, les guépards ont d'abord été retrouvés dans la strate du Pléistocène Moyen de la Péninsule Apchéron. Son biotope préféré dans son aire de répartition est décrit. Il n'y a pas de données documentées sur la présence du guépard dans le Caucase au temps historique. Des dessins de guépards ont été retrouvés. Le guépard est mentionné dans plusieurs livres apportant la preuve de sa présence en Russie pendant le 11e et le 12e siècle où il était entraîné pour la chasse et dans d'autres pays proches pendant le 14e et le 15e siècle. La disparition du guépard de la Transcaucasie et au sud de l'Asie est expliquée par la diminution des ongulés des steppes et la poursuite intensive des jeunes guépards pour l'entraînement.

Vereshchagin_1959_Cheetah.pdf