Anatomy

Being in the genus Acinonyx, the morphology of the cheetah differs notably from the big
cats (genus Panthera). The face and the jaw are unusually shortened and the sagittal crest is
poorly developed, possibly to reduce weight and enhance speed. In fact, the skull resembles
that of the smaller cats. Another point of similarity to the small cats is the long and flexible
spine, in contrast to the stiff and short one of other large felids. A 2001 study of felid
morphology stated that the truncation of the development of the middle phalanx bone in the
cheetah at a relatively younger age than other felids could be a major reason for the
peculiar morphology of the cheetah. Interestingly, the cheetah appears to show convergent
evolution with canids in morphology as well as behaviour. For example, the cheetah has a
relatively long snout, long legs and deep chest, tough foot pads and blunt, semi-retractable
claws; moreover, its hunting behaviour resembles that of canids. In the 2001 study, it was
observed that the claws of cheetah have features intermediate between those of felids and
the wolf. In the Puma lineage, the cheetah's skull morphology is similar to that of the
puma both have short, wide skulls while that of the jaguarundi is different.