_dreamprince_ 2011/01/22 21:02
The "newest" cat species
described to science, the
Sunda clouded leopard,
actually exists in two distinct
forms, scientists have
confirmed.
This big cat is so enigmatic that
researchers only realised it was
a new species - distinct from
clouded leopards living elsewhere
in Asia - in 2007. The first
footage of the cat in the wild to
made public was only released
last year.
Now a genetic analysis has
confirmed that the cat comes in
two forms, one living in Sumatra,
the other on Borneo.
Clouded leopards are the most
elusive of all the big cats, which
include lions, tigers, jaguars,
snow leopards and normal
spotted leopards.
So far we can only speculate
about the specific course of
events in the evolution of
the clouded leopard
Joerns Fickel
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and
Wildlife Research
Living across south-east Asia,
into China and India, the leopards
have larger cloud-like spots than
ordinary leopards.
Until 2006, all clouded leopards
were thought to belong to a
single species.
However, genetic studies
revealed that there are actually
two quite distinct clouded
leopard species.
As well as the better known
clouded leopard living on the
Asian mainland (Neofelis
nebulosa), scientists determined
that a separate clouded leopard
species lives on the islands of
Borneo and Sumatra.
The two species are thought to
have diverged over one million
years ago.
This leopard is now known as the
Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis
diardi), though it was previously
and erroneously called the
Bornean clouded leopard.
Since 2008, it has been listed as
vulnerable by the International
Union for the Conservation of
Nature.
In 2010, a team of scientists
working in the Dermakot Forest
Reserve in Malaysia released the
first footage of the cat in the
wild to be made public.
The "newest" cat species
described to science, the
Sunda clouded leopard,
actually exists in two distinct
forms, scientists have
confirmed.
This big cat is so enigmatic that
researchers only realised it was
a new species - distinct from
clouded leopards living elsewhere
in Asia - in 2007. The first
footage of the cat in the wild to
made public was only released
last year.
Now a genetic analysis has
confirmed that the cat comes in
two forms, one living in Sumatra,
the other on Borneo.
Clouded leopards are the most
elusive of all the big cats, which
include lions, tigers, jaguars,
snow leopards and normal
spotted leopards.
So far we can only speculate
about the specific course of
events in the evolution of
the clouded leopard
Joerns Fickel
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and
Wildlife Research
Living across south-east Asia,
into China and India, the leopards
have larger cloud-like spots than
ordinary leopards.
Until 2006, all clouded leopards
were thought to belong to a
single species.
However, genetic studies
revealed that there are actually
two quite distinct clouded
leopard species.
As well as the better known
clouded leopard living on the
Asian mainland (Neofelis
nebulosa), scientists determined
that a separate clouded leopard
species lives on the islands of
Borneo and Sumatra.
The two species are thought to
have diverged over one million
years ago.
This leopard is now known as the
Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis
diardi), though it was previously
and erroneously called the
Bornean clouded leopard.
Since 2008, it has been listed as
vulnerable by the International
Union for the Conservation of
Nature.
In 2010, a team of scientists
working in the Dermakot Forest
Reserve in Malaysia released the
first footage of the cat in the
wild to be made public.
_dreamprince_ 2011/01/22 21:03
Led by Mr Andreas Wilting of the
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and
Wildlife Research in Berlin,
Germany, the researchers
captured images of a Sunda
clouded leopard walking along a
road.
Now Mr Wilting and colleagues
have published new research
which reveals even more about
this mysterious cat.
They sampled 15 Sunda clouded
leopards living on Borneo and 16
living in Sumatra, conducting
molecular and genetic studies to
reveal their origin.
The researchers also examined
the skulls of 28 further Sunda
clouded leopards and the fur
coats of 20 specimens held in
museums, as well as the coats
of cats photographed on both
islands.
"Although we suspected that
Sunda clouded leopards on
Borneo and Sumatra have likely
been geographically separated
since the last Ice Age, it was not
known whether this long isolation
had caused them to split up into
separate sub-species," explains
Wilting.
Led by Mr Andreas Wilting of the
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and
Wildlife Research in Berlin,
Germany, the researchers
captured images of a Sunda
clouded leopard walking along a
road.
Now Mr Wilting and colleagues
have published new research
which reveals even more about
this mysterious cat.
They sampled 15 Sunda clouded
leopards living on Borneo and 16
living in Sumatra, conducting
molecular and genetic studies to
reveal their origin.
The researchers also examined
the skulls of 28 further Sunda
clouded leopards and the fur
coats of 20 specimens held in
museums, as well as the coats
of cats photographed on both
islands.
"Although we suspected that
Sunda clouded leopards on
Borneo and Sumatra have likely
been geographically separated
since the last Ice Age, it was not
known whether this long isolation
had caused them to split up into
separate sub-species," explains
Wilting.
_dreamprince_ 2011/01/22 21:06
But his team's analysis confirms
that the latest "new" species of
cat to be discovered actually
comes in two forms, a Bornean
subspecies N. d. borneensis and
the Sumatran subspecies N. d.
diardi.
Their results are published in the
journal Molecular Phylogenetics
and Evolution.
The differences aren't obvious:
the Sunda clouded leopards on
Borneo and Sumatra look alike.
Both cats have similar patterned
coats as they live in similar
jungle habitats, the researchers
suspect.
But as well as being genetically
distinct, the clouded leopards on
both islands are also
morphologically different, having
unique features in their skulls
and teeth.
It is unclear what caused the
Sunda clouded leopard to evolve
into two forms.
"So far we can only speculate
about the specific course of
events in the evolution of the
clouded leopard," says team
member Joerns Fickel, also at
the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and
Wildlife Research.
But the researchers think that a
volcanic eruption on Sumatra
75,000 years ago may have
wiped out most clouded leopards.
One group survived in China and
colonised the rest of mainland
Asia.
Another hung on in Borneo,
becoming the Sunda clouded
leopard. This evolved into two
types after a group colonised
Sumatra via glacial land bridges,
and then became cut off as sea
levels rose.
But his team's analysis confirms
that the latest "new" species of
cat to be discovered actually
comes in two forms, a Bornean
subspecies N. d. borneensis and
the Sumatran subspecies N. d.
diardi.
Their results are published in the
journal Molecular Phylogenetics
and Evolution.
The differences aren't obvious:
the Sunda clouded leopards on
Borneo and Sumatra look alike.
Both cats have similar patterned
coats as they live in similar
jungle habitats, the researchers
suspect.
But as well as being genetically
distinct, the clouded leopards on
both islands are also
morphologically different, having
unique features in their skulls
and teeth.
It is unclear what caused the
Sunda clouded leopard to evolve
into two forms.
"So far we can only speculate
about the specific course of
events in the evolution of the
clouded leopard," says team
member Joerns Fickel, also at
the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and
Wildlife Research.
But the researchers think that a
volcanic eruption on Sumatra
75,000 years ago may have
wiped out most clouded leopards.
One group survived in China and
colonised the rest of mainland
Asia.
Another hung on in Borneo,
becoming the Sunda clouded
leopard. This evolved into two
types after a group colonised
Sumatra via glacial land bridges,
and then became cut off as sea
levels rose.
interesting topic bro
jay6600 2011/01/24 01:34
On subject of cats did anybody try putting cardboard tubes on a cats legs
:
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On subject of cats did anybody try putting cardboard tubes on a cats legs
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