< home # store # services # articles # game # app #contact >

Skeletal parts, including jaws and teeth, of the giant jaguar. Were discovered on the Platte river, of Nebraska, in 1872, by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden
He sent them to Joesph Leidy, at the academy of natural sciences in Philadelphia. Who named them felis augustus in 1872. He was working on identifying some of the recent pleistocene megafauna discoveries.

By the 1940s, more and more findings came forward. From Florida, Maryland to Tennessee. Even Oregon, California (La Brae), and southwestern Mexico. All had remains of the giant jaguar.
As more pieces become available to scientists. They are able to differentiate and classify further. And, determine their sizes and genetics.

How big do you think a giant jaguar is?
Comparing the pieces, and skeletons with other large pleistocene cats. They were probably around 450 pounds.

Growl!

Bibliography: Daggett, Pierre M.; Henning, Dale R. (1974). “The Jaguar in North America”. American Antiquity. 39 (3): 465–469. doi:10.2307/279437. ISSN0002-7316. JSTOR279437. S2CID160927286.

McCrady, Edward; et al. (1951). “New finds of Pleistocene jaguar skeletons from Tennessee caves”. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 101 (3287): 497–512. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.101-3287.497.

Simpson, George Gaylord (1941). “Large Pleistocene felines of North America. American Museum novitates ; no. 1136”. hdl:2246/2262.