Acinonyx

Acinonyx is a genus that is within the Felidae family, also known as the cat family. The only living species of the genus and most commonly known, the cheetah (A. jubatus) inhabits the open grasslands of Africa and Asia along with parts of Iran. This genus represents a highly adapted lineage within the felids, which specialize in speed and open-terrain hunting. Evidence suggest the Acinonyx genus evolved from other feline ancestors early on, to become specialized in stealth and running.

The main reasons for all but one species going extinct revolve around climate changes, humans driving these species out of their habitats, and their prey populations shrinking. Climate drastically changed starting in the Pleistocene period, making it difficult to survive in open terrain and grasslands upon which these cats depend. Human civilization also began to change and expand resulting in lots of these species to lose their home or hunting grounds. This also forced some species to be isolated making reproducing more difficult. Another factor of humans expanding was the lack of prey for these cats; their prey were being hunted by humans or being forced from their habitats. These problems played a huge role in the extinction of the historic Acinonyx species.