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Sneaky kitty: New Brazilian wild cat found hiding in tigrina DNA
Cats are stealthy, but this kind is a pro -- it’s been hiding in plain sight for years. A whole new species of Brazilian feline has been discovered after scientists analyzed the DNA of several different wild cat populations.
The findings, published in Current Biology, highlight the need for careful conservation efforts. After all, it’s hard to protect a potentially endangered species if scientists don’t yet know it exists.
Brazilian scientists studied several different populations of very distinct wild Neotropical cat: the pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo), Geoffroy’s cat (L. geoffroyi) and the tigrina (L. tigrinus), a roughly house-cat-sized feline. The tigrina is one of the smallest, with yellowish fur and open spots. Geoffroy’s cat is a larger, stockier cat that often has a more grayish coat with its solid spots. The pampas cat doesn’t have spots on its body but does have stripes on its limbs and sports a shorter tail.
The findings, published in Current Biology, highlight the need for careful conservation efforts. After all, it’s hard to protect a potentially endangered species if scientists don’t yet know it exists.
Brazilian scientists studied several different populations of very distinct wild Neotropical cat: the pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo), Geoffroy’s cat (L. geoffroyi) and the tigrina (L. tigrinus), a roughly house-cat-sized feline. The tigrina is one of the smallest, with yellowish fur and open spots. Geoffroy’s cat is a larger, stockier cat that often has a more grayish coat with its solid spots. The pampas cat doesn’t have spots on its body but does have stripes on its limbs and sports a shorter tail.
Kitty...
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-new-brazilian-wild-cat-tigrina-dna-20131127,0,1650680.story#ixzz2m3qauppo
