Morphological and Genetics Support for a Hitherto Undescribed Spotted Cat Species (Genus Leopardus; Felidae, Carnivora) from the Southern Colombian Andes.

ABSTRACT: In 1989, a skin of a small spotted cat, from the Galeras Volcano in southern Colombia (Nariño Department), was donated to the Instituto Alexander von Humboldt (identification, ID 5857) at Villa de Leyva (Boyacá Department, Colombia). Although originally classified as Leopardus tigrinus, its distinctiveness merits a new taxonomic designation. The skin is distinct from all known L. tigrinus holotypes as well as from other Leopardus species. Analysis of the complete mitochondrial genomes from 44 felid specimens (including 18 L. tigrinus and all the current known species of the genus Leopardus), the mtND5 gene from 84 felid specimens (including 30 L. tigrinus and all the species of the genus Leopardus), and six nuclear DNA microsatellites

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Garcia M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10298493 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature