A new cat species was just discovered. Several more may follow
Editor’s note: Last week, the description of a “new” cat species from Bolivia made headlines around the world. The tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), a small spotted cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests, was described as the first new living cat species discovered in more than a century. Unlike several cats recognized as new species in recent […]
Last week, the description of a "new" cat species from Bolivia captured global attention. The tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), a small spotted cat found in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forests, marked the first new living cat species discovered in over a century. Unlike several other cat species recently recognized as new through taxonomic revisions, the tilcayo had not been formally described by science.
Genetic analysis revealed that the tilcayo's lineage split from other tiger cats approximately 1.4 million years ago. This discovery coincides with a wider reassessment of cat taxonomy. Researchers are now identifying or proposing several populations previously considered subspecies or regional variations as distinct species. According to Tadeu Gomes de Oliveira, a Brazilian wildlife biologist and conservationist who has extensively studied small wild cats in the Neotropics, there may be many more new cats to be discovered.
Oliveira, a co-chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group and a professor at Maranhão State University, has dedicated much of his career to studying the tiger-cat complex, which includes Leopardus tigrinus, L. guttulus, and L. pardinoides. He has also played a significant role in IUCN Red List assessments and conservation planning in Brazil.
Oliveira emphasizes that the tiger-cat group is experiencing a "genetic revolution," indicating that the discovery of the tilcayo is just the beginning of a larger trend in cat taxonomy.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
