Notice: This is the official website of the All Empires History Community (Reg. 10 Feb 2002)

  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

New species of Feline found

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Leonidas View Drop Down
Tsar
Tsar
Avatar

Joined: 01-Oct-2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4613
  Quote Leonidas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: New species of Feline found
    Posted: 15-Mar-2007 at 04:13
This one is for knights.Smile

Well its not a new discovery in the sense that we already knew it existed, however the Bornean Clouded Leopard has now been separated as its own species after genetic tests confirm its distinctiveness.

on the left is the 'run of the mill' clouded leopard the dark one on the right is the Bornean clouded leoperd



" The mainland clouded leopard (left) has been separated from its island cousin (right) for about 1.4 million years, research suggests"

"Clouded leopards found on Sumatra and Borneo represent a new species, research by genetic scientists and the conservation group WWF indicates.

Until now it had been thought they belonged to the species that is found on mainland southeast Asia.

Scientists now believe the two species diverged more than one million years ago, and have evolved separately since.

Clouded leopards are the biggest predators on Borneo, and can grow as large as small panthers.

The separation of the species was discovered by scientists at the US National Cancer Institute near Washington DC.

"Genetic research results clearly indicate that the clouded leopards of Borneo should be considered a separate species," said Dr Stephen O'Brien, head of the Institute's Laboratory of Genomic Diversity.

"DNA tests highlighted around 40 differences between the two species."


Tell tails

Supporting evidence came from examination of fur patterns. Leopards from Borneo and Sumatra have small "clouds" with many distinct spots within them, grey and dark fur, and twin stripes along their backs.

Their mainland cousins have large cloud markings on their skin with fewer, often faint, spots within the cloud markings, and are lighter and more tawny in colour.

"The moment we started comparing the skins of the mainland clouded leopard and the leopard found on Borneo, it was clear we were comparing two different species," said Dr Andrew Kitchener from the National Museums of Scotland.

"It's incredible that no-one has ever noticed these differences."

WWF, which maintains a large conservation operation on Borneo, estimates there are between 5,000 and 11,000 clouded leopards on the island, with a further 3,000 to 7,000 on Sumatra.

"The fact that Borneo's top predator is now considered a separate species further emphasises the importance of conserving the 'Heart of Borneo'," said WWF's Stuart Chapman, co-ordinator of a project seeking to preserve the island's wildlife.

BBC

also read the WWF article


Back to Top
Knights View Drop Down
Caliph
Caliph
Avatar
suspended

Joined: 23-Oct-2006
Location: AUSTRALIA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3224
  Quote Knights Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-Mar-2007 at 05:10
Wow thanks Leonidas, very thoughtful. Smile The Bornean variety look like shady characters don't they? I love clouded leopards, they have such a beautiful coat pattern, and are easily trained ... (captive ones, that is Wink). Have you seen the canines on one of those little beasts?



-- Longest of any cat, for their body size

Thought I might include some pictures of my own Approve




And the Bornean:


Cool cats...I mean, even their scientific name is cool - Neofelis Nebulosa

Thanks Leonidas,

- Knights -

Back to Top
New User View Drop Down
Shogun
Shogun
Avatar

Joined: 04-Mar-2007
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 218
  Quote New User Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-Mar-2007 at 05:17

Much more interesting than finches. (in my easily disinterested mind)

 
Thanks for the thread, interesting read. Oh and thanks to Knights I now know the scientific name for the clouded leopard. cool.
 
Why do you reckon no one ever noticed before?
Back to Top
Knights View Drop Down
Caliph
Caliph
Avatar
suspended

Joined: 23-Oct-2006
Location: AUSTRALIA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3224
  Quote Knights Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-Mar-2007 at 05:30
Originally posted by New User

Much more interesting than finches. (in my easily disinterested mind)

 
Thanks for the thread, interesting read. Oh and thanks to Knights I now know the scientific name for the clouded leopard. cool.
 
Why do you reckon no one ever noticed before?


Neofelis Nebulosa - From my sketchy Latin I think it means something like "Misty (Nebulosa) New Cat"...That of course is the "Clouded Leopard". The newly named Bornean Clouded Leopard is Neofelis Diardi...no idea what 'diardi' is though.

I would imagine, as I think the article and WWF said, that phenotypical variations between the two have been noticed before, but proper genetic analysis has never been undertaken until recently. A guy called Edward Griffith first identified the Clouded Leopard in the early 1800's.

- Knights -
Back to Top
Constantine XI View Drop Down
Suspended
Suspended

Suspended

Joined: 01-May-2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5711
  Quote Constantine XI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-Mar-2007 at 07:50
I read an article about this on the train home today, quite beautiful creatures indeed. Pity about all the rumours of habitat destruction I hear occurs in the archipelago.

Edited by Constantine XI - 15-Mar-2007 at 18:06
Back to Top
Leonidas View Drop Down
Tsar
Tsar
Avatar

Joined: 01-Oct-2005
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4613
  Quote Leonidas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-Mar-2007 at 09:51
Im a bit of a big cat fan myself, clouded leopards are stunning yet don't get the publicity they deserve.  i read this in the online paper and went straight to Google when i came home.

longest body and short legs ratio as mentioned for a low center of gravity, with a tail the same length as its body for balance (up to 3 feet), broad paws and flexible ankle joints in the hind legs These are some of best adapted cats for arboreal life. They are said to be clumsy looking on the ground, but can climb down tree face first or can hang with the hind legs from branches.


those canines! this i didnt know so i had a little look.


the canines are largest in proportion to body size of all living cats, san deigo zoo states they can be the same size as a tiger (5cm long). There is big gap between the canines and the pre-molars with the canines having a  very sharp inside edge which gives this cat a very big bite.


http://www.cloudedleopard.org/about.htm
http://members.aol.com/cattrust/clouded.htm
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Neofelis_nebulosa.html
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-clouded_leopard.html

thanks knights for the those pics.  i cant help but add some moreWink



http://www.dinosoria.com/panthere_longibande.htm


http://www.thebigcats.com/cloudleo/cloudleo.htm


video of the bornean speces cabn be found here
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/priority_species/clouded_leopard/index.cfm
another video of a regular one here






Edited by Leonidas - 15-Mar-2007 at 10:01
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.56a [Free Express Edition]
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz

This page was generated in 0.064 seconds.