Jefferinoopolis writes:
According to the San Diego Zoo, Leopards have retractable claws. Cheetahs on the other hand only have partially retractable claws. This ensures that they maintain traction when they make turns at a full run.
K Man is saying that cheetahs are devolved leopards. Nothing you have posted is in conflict with this idea. That said, it is pretty clear that K Man pulled his lineage theory out of thin air. It's just a story that does not match up with the fossil evidence. But it might turn out that the cheetah did evolve from a bigger cat ancestor with fully retractable claws.
But so what? Nobody is claiming that evolution always results in bigger, stronger, more intelligent animals. Cheetahs fit an ecological niche that would be very difficult for other cats to fill. Cheetahs pray on gazelles that most other cats could never catch. Is it really all that hard to imagine natural selection producing this result?
Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.
Edited by NoNukes, : remove "more bigger"