A spotted cat from Bolivia's forests turns out to be an entirely new species
New wild cat species discovered – with only one known living member
DNA studies have confirmed that a small spotted cat from Bolivia's Yungas forests is a new species, Leopardus tilcayo, nicknamed Tigrino. Only one living member is known, a 10-year-old cat in a rescue sanctuary, though researchers believe others exist. The finding suggests there may be five tiger cat species rather than three, expanding the world's cat family from 41 known species to 44 or more. Scientists hope it will draw attention to the conservation of these small, elusive wild cats.
It's amazing that there are still new species waiting to be discovered: we don't have to go to a volcano, an island, or deep into the sea.
- nemomarx
> Tiger cats previously had been considered a single species, but genetic studies decades ago suggested the existence of multiple species.
So more like they identified that part of the known population was a different species just now. It'll take more effort tagging and identifying other tiger cats to see if they also belong to this particular one?
- pbhjpbhj
Did I miss where they said the basis on which they judged it to be a different species?
Presumably DNA differences - would have been nice to see something about that.
There's mention of wildcats interbreeding with house cats, so presumably ability to cross-breed isn't part of the "new species" calculation?
- toolslive
There also was the Corsican wildcat[0] which briefly was a new species and now has "uncertain taxonomic status" (whatever that may mean).