Comments on: New Clouded Leopard

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:27:27 +0000

I still think it is amazing in that the cats went so long without anyone ever noticing the differences between the two. That the two could be known for so long, yet not be recognized as two seperate species is very interesting to me. I think it is a good example of how things can be hiding right under our noses and be overlooked even by people within the field.

By: kittenz

kittenz — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 13:00:25 +0000

It’s still exciting, Jeremy_Wells, even if it only points out that we don’t always know as much about the other inhabitants of planet Earth as we think we do :D.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 21:52:59 +0000

That is a beautiful cat!

By: Jeremy_Wells

Jeremy_Wells — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 20:23:56 +0000

So… not really so much a new “discovery” as a new “classification”. I started to get all excited thinking that these big cats had totally eluded science until now (and yes, I was ready to add it to my ammo pouch of “big animals can elude science”). Now I guess I have to be content with the possibility that the reclassification will raise awareness and help protect more of the habitat that supports these beautiful big cats.

By: heinselman

heinselman — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:15:58 +0000

The actual reclassification was presented in December 2006 in the journal Current Biology (volume 16, issue 23, December 2006).

In the paper Molecular Evidence for Species – Level Distinctions in Clouded Leopards, the researchers identified genetic differences splitting the previous Neofelis nebulosa diardi into Neofelis diardi. The distinctions being significant enough to compare to the differences exhibited between the known Panthera species (which include lions, tigers and leopards).

This entire scenario is also supported, and vice-versa, within the same journal in the paper Geographical Variation in the Clouded Leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, reveals Two Species”. Here the researchers here looked at the morphological differences on the pelages .

These two papers support the basis for a species reclassification on a genetic and morphological basis.

The question therefore is raised, why now is the story being heralded as a new discovery?

The association over to conservation on mainland Borneo is one strong suggestive reason. The more attention the area receives, the more pressure is acclimated to a protection basis. While all this is great, we still must keep our attention to the details behind what is reported.

See the December 18, 2006 post for more details on the reclassification.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:24:37 +0000

This is a very strikingly beautiful cat. I wish I knew more about cats to join into the discussion about its genus and whatnot. More of a canid person myself.

By: kittenz

kittenz — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:17:19 +0000

I used to look at clouded leopards and at tigers and say no way are they of the same genus. But the clouded leopards to which I was comparing the tigers were of the mainland species. This island species actually looks like it could be a close tiger relative. Food for thought.

Now, like Loren said before, what about the Taiwanese clouded leopard? Will they (if indeed they still exist, which is uncertain) turn out to be Neofelis nebulosa, Neofelis diardi, or another species entirely?

By: kittenz

kittenz — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:11:20 +0000

lol DWA,
I was a cat in a former life ;).

By: skeptik

skeptik — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:18:36 +0000

Beautiful animal.

By: DWA

DWA — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:52:05 +0000

kittenz: and I don’t know why I didn’t mention the tail, because that looked kind of funny to me too.

This is indeed a whole ‘nuther cat. In fact, it’s funny that while the articles mention the coat differences, I’m now thinking about how, wow, the coats are so SIMILAR for two such different animals.

Evolution is a real funny thing. (And I’m saying “funny” a lot.) And our ability to avoid seeing what we aren’t predisposed to see - so amply demonstrated here - has some applicability to another cryptid that pops up occasionally on this site.