New Cat Species Identified in Bolivia, First in over a Century
Genetic analysis showed tiger cats split into five species, and researchers say the newly named Tilcayo may warrant its own conservation status.
- Researchers published a study on Thursday in Current Biology identifying Leopardus tilcayo as a new tiger cat species, marking the first novel feline discovered in over 100 years.
- Biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic Explorer, began investigating the 'weird cat' after receiving a 2016 call from a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary; the animal had been mistaken for a domestic kitten.
- Genomic comparisons revealed L. tilcayo diverged from other lineages around 1.4 million years ago and inhabits Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, weighing just 3 to 4 pounds and smaller than a house cat.
- Evolutionary biologist Jonas Lescroart from the University of Antwerp said the discovery "is definitely expected to increase conservation attention," with researchers calling for re-evaluation of species previously grouped under a single label.
- Future research will install camera traps in Bolivia's Yungas region to track L. tilcayo populations while preserving traditional knowledge; local communities have recognized the cat as 'tilcayo' for generations.
158 Articles
158 Articles
A small tiger cat from the forests of Bolivia turns out to be a species in its own right. Antwerp biologists named it the tilcayo and it is the first new...
A supposedly known wild cat from South America turns out to be a scientific sensation. Researchers identify a new cat species. A biologist noticed unusual characteristics of the cat.
Mysterious Bolivian 'weird cat' recognized as new species, marking first discovered in over century
Its path to scientific recognition began in 2016, when Bolivian biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz received a call from the Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary about what staff described as an unusual cat.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Shin-young = A new cat species has been identified in Bolivia's Yungas Forest for the first time in over 100 years, the British daily The Guardian reported on the 17th (local time)...
The lineage of the small animal, described by the scientist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz in the cloud forests of Bolivia, separated from the rest of tiger cats 1.4 million years ago
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