Etymology
The name Panthera may be
derived from the Greek pan-, meaning “all”,
and ther, meaning “prey”, translating
literally as "predator of all animals”. The species name onca is derived from the Latin word lyncea, “lynx”. The word Jaguar comes
from the Tupi (native Brazilian) word yaguara
which means “beast”. Several
extinct subspecies from the Pleistocene have
also been identified based on their geographic location; Eurasian specimens are
referred to as P. o. gombaszoegensis while the South and North American specimens
are attributed to and P. o. mesembrina
and P. o. augusta respectively. This blog post will be focusing on the
latter of the three while making comparisons to living representatives of the
species.Habitat & Distribution
Jaguars inhabit forest, woodland, savanna, scrubland, and wetland habitats preferring lowland areas with a permanent water source and vegetation cover. This species first appears in Eurasia about 2mya. When the Bering Land Bridge was formed during the early Pleistocene, Jaguars expanded their range to include virtually all of North and South America except for the extensive open grasslands, deserts, and mountainous areas. After the end-Pleistocene extinction event, Jaguars became extinct in the northern parts of their range until they were only left in the tropical forests of Central and South America. The northern limit for this species today are the states of Arizona and New Mexico.
Physical Attributes
Modern Jaguars display an interesting size
variation through different parts of their range that appears to be tied to the
abundance of large prey in their respective regions. Individuals from Central
American rainforests are the smallest. The largest Jaguars are currently found
in the Pantanal wetlands of South America where large prey over 100kg (220bs)
is abundant and are more readily encountered than it is elsewhere in the species' range.
Mature males from this region reach shoulder heights of 70cm (2ft 4in) and body
weights of 158kg (350lbs), the weight of a small female Lion or Tiger. During
the Pleistocene, however, Jaguars could attain shoulder heights of 90cm (3ft)
and body weights of up to 210kg (465lbs), nearly the weight of a male African
Lion! ![]() |
A size chart to illustrate the size difference between the Pleistocene (left)
and the average modern Jaguar (right).
|
A melanistic Jaguar. Note that the rosette markings are still faintly visible. |
Ecology & Behavior
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A female Jaguar preparing to move her cub. |
References & Further Reading
Nye, April Season, "Pleistocene peccaries from Guy Wilson Cave, Sullivan County, Tennessee." (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2115. <Full text>
Lange. Ian M. “Ice Age Mammals of North America: A Guide to the Big, the Hairy, and the Bizarre”. Mountain Press Publishing Company 2002. Missoula, Montana <Book>
Nye, April Season, "Pleistocene peccaries from Guy Wilson Cave, Sullivan County, Tennessee." (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2115. <Full text>
Lange. Ian M. “Ice Age Mammals of North America: A Guide to the Big, the Hairy, and the Bizarre”. Mountain Press Publishing Company 2002. Missoula, Montana <Book>
Cuvier M, Johnson WE, Pecon-Slattery J, O’Brien SJ (2000).
“Genomic Ancestry of the American Puma”. Journal of Heredity 91(3): 186-97.
doi: 10.1093/jhered/91.3.186. PMID 10833043 <Full
article>
Nuanez R, Miller B, Lindzey F (2000). “Food habits of
Jaguars and pumas in Jalisco, Mexico”. Journal of Zoology 252 (3): 373 <Full
article>
Turner A
(1997). The Big Cats and their Fossil Relatives. New York: Columbia
University Press. ISBN 0-231-10229-1 <Book>
Macdonald, David W. The Princeton
Encyclopedia of Mammals. Princeton, New
Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2009. 750-751 <Book>
Kurten B & Anderson E. “Pleistocene Mammals of North America”. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1980. 192 <Book>
Kurten B & Anderson E. “Pleistocene Mammals of North America”. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1980. 192 <Book>
Agustin IJ, Franklin WL, Warren JE, Kent RH (1990).
“Biogeographic variation of food habits and body size of the South American
puma”. Oecologia 85(2): 185. doi: 10.1007/BF00319400 <Full
article>
Schultz CB, Martin LD, Schultz MR (1985). “A Pleistocene Jaguar from North-Central Nebraska”. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. Paper 228 <Full Article>
Schultz CB, Martin LD, Schultz MR (1985). “A Pleistocene Jaguar from North-Central Nebraska”. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. Paper 228 <Full Article>
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