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Recently, the tiger-cat species complex was split into Leopardus tigrinus and Leopardus guttulus, along with other proposed schemes. We performed a detailed analysis integrating ecological modeling, biogeography, and phenotype of the four originally recognized subspecies—tigrinus, oncilla, pardinoides, guttulus—and presented a new multidimensional niche depiction of the species. Species distribution models used > 1400 records from museums and photographs, all checked for species accuracy. Morphological data were obtained from institutional/personal archives. Spotting patterns were established by integrating museum and photographic/camera-trap records. Principal component analysis showed three clearly distinct groups, with the Central American specimens (oncilla) clustering entirely within those of the Andes, namely the pardinoides group of the cloud forests of the southern Central-American and Andean mountain chains (clouded tiger-cat); the tigrinus group of the savannas of the Guiana Shield and central/northeastern Brazil (savanna tiger-cat); and the guttulus group in the lowland forests of the Atlantic Forest domain (Atlantic Forest tiger-cat). This scheme is supported by recent genetic analyses. All species displayed different spotting patterns, with some significant differences in body measurements/proportions. The new distribution presented alarming reductions from the historic range of − 50.4% to − 68.2%. This multidimensional approach revealed a new species of the elusive and threatened tiger-cat complex.
My explanation: When you scrape and mash all the data on these cats, scientists realised that they have a few species and not everyone was talking about the same cat.
GPT ELI5: Imagine we’re talking about a group of wild cats known as the tiger-cat family. Scientists used to think they were all one big family, but recently, they discovered that there are actually different types of tiger-cats, kind of like how you have different types of dogs. To figure this out, they looked really closely at where these cats live, what they look like, and even their DNA. They used lots of information from museums and pictures to see where these cats have been found and what they look like, including their unique spot patterns.
By using a special kind of math called principal component analysis, which is a bit like sorting your toys into different boxes based on their color and size, scientists found three main groups of these tiger-cats. One group lives in Central America and the Andes mountains and likes to hang out in cloudy forests; they’re called the clouded tiger-cat. Another group lives in the savannas of Brazil, which are big grassy areas, and they’re known as the savanna tiger-cat. The third group lives in the Atlantic Forest, which is a big rainforest, and they’re called the Atlantic Forest tiger-cat.
Each of these groups has different patterns on their fur and even their body sizes and shapes are a bit different. Sadly, when the scientists looked at where these cats live now compared to the past, they found that they have a lot less space to call home, which is a big problem for their survival. This detailed study helped discover that there’s not just one, but a few different kinds of tiger-cats, which is really important for helping to protect them.