Leopardus

Genus of felines native to the Americas

Leopardus[2]
Temporal range: Pleistocene-Recent[1]
~2.5–0 Ma
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
↓
Leopardus species from top-left, clockwise: ocelot (L. pardalis), oncilla (L. tigrinus), Pampas cat (L. colocola), kodkod (L. guigna), margay (L. wiedii), Geoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Leopardus
Gray, 1842
Type species
Leopardus griseus
Gray, 1842
Leopardus range map
Leopardus distribution

Leopardus is a genus comprising eight species of small cats native to the Americas.[3] This genus is considered the oldest branch of a genetic lineage of small cats in the Americas whose common ancestor crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia to North America in the late Miocene.[4]

Characteristics

Leopardus species have spotted fur, with ground colors ranging from pale buff, ochre, fulvous and tawny to light gray.[5] Their small ears are rounded and white-spotted; their rhinarium is prominent and naked above, and their nostrils are widely separated.[6] They have 36 chromosomes, whereas other felids have 38.[7]

Taxonomy

The generic name Leopardus was proposed by John Edward Gray in 1842, when he described two spotted cat skins from Central America and two from India in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London.[8] Several genera were proposed in the 19th and early 20th centuries for small spotted cats in the Americas, including:

Analysis of skull morphology of these taxa revealed close similarities in their base of skulls and nasal bones, their masticatory muscles, and dentition.[14] Phylogenetic analysis of tissue samples of these taxa and their ability to hybridise support the notion that they are members of the same genus.[4][7] The following eight extant Leopardus species have commonly been recognized as valid taxa since 2017:[3]

Name IUCN Red List status and distribution
Ocelot L. pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)[15]
 LC[16]
Oncilla L. tigrinus (Schreber, 1775)[17]
 VU[18]
Pampas cat L. colocola (Molina, 1782)[19]
 NT[20]

Range includes multiple species

Kodkod L. guigna (Molina, 1782)[19]
 VU[21]
Margay L. wiedii (Schinz, 1821)[22]
 NT[23]
Geoffroy's cat L. geoffroyi (d'Orbigny & Gervais, 1844)[24]
 LC[25]
Andean mountain cat L. jacobita (Cornalia, 1865)[26]
 EN[27]
Southern tigrina L. guttulus (Hensel, 1872)[28] VU[29]

Additionally, more recent genetic analyses in 2017 and 2021 proposed the recognition of a third tigrina-like species, Leopardus emiliae.[30][31]

A 2021 analysis of 142 pampas cat museum specimen collected across South America showed significant morphological differences between them. Therefore, it was proposed to split the historically-contentious pampas cat species complex into five species: Leopardus colocolo, Leopardus braccatus, Leopardus garleppi, Leopardus munoai, and Leopardus pajeros.[32] Later that same year, it was noted that the oldest available name for pampas cats of the Uruguayan savannah region was Leopardus fasciatus, not L. munoai.[33]

Another study in 2023 described another new species, Leopardus narinensis, based on a single dried skin collected in 1989 on the Galeras Volcano in the Nariño Department of Colombia. They found it to be very different from all other Leopardus species both morphologically and genetically.[34]

A different study in 2024 did a detailed analysis of both the morphology and genetics of specimens assigned to Leopardus tigrinus, Leopardus guttulus, and Leopardus emiliae. It suggested L. t. pardinoides should be elevated to species status as Leopardus pardinoides due to significant differences in morphology, genetics, and ecology. The study also assigned the subspecies L. t. oncilla to be a subspecies of L. pardinoides as L. p. oncilla. Additionally, genetic analysis suggested that Leopardus emiliae was not genetically distinct from L. tigrinus, and thus may be invalid. The study recommended the common names savannah tiger-cat for L. tigrinus, Atlantic Forest tiger-cat for L. guttulus, and clouded tiger-cat for L. pardinoides.[35]

An expanded list of Leopardus species would be:[36]

  • Leopardus braccatus, the Pantanal cat or Brazilian pampas cat
  • Leopardus colocola, the colocolo or Central Chilean pampas cat
  • Leopardus emiliae, the eastern tigrina or Snethlage's tigrina
  • Leopardus fasciatus, Muñoa’s pampas cat or Uruguayan pampas cat
  • Leopardus garleppi, the northern pampas cat or Garlepp's pampas cat
  • Leopardus geoffroyi, Geoffroy's cat
  • Leopardus guigna, the kodkod
  • Leopardus guttulus, the southern tigrina or Atlantic Forest tiger-cat
  • Leopardus jacobita, the Andean mountain cat
  • Leopardus narinensis, the Nariño cat, Galeras cat, or red tigrina[34]
  • Leopardus pajeros, the southern pampas cat
  • Leopardus pardalis, the ocelot
  • Leopardus pardinoides, the clouded tiger-cat
  • Leopardus tigrinus, the oncilla, northern tigrina, or savannah tiger-cat
  • Leopardus weidii, the margay

Phylogeny

Phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear DNA in tissue samples from all Felidae species revealed that the evolutionary radiation of the Felidae began in Asia in the Miocene around 14.45 to 8.38 million years ago.[4] Analysis of mitochondrial DNA of all Felidae species indicates a radiation at around 16.76 to 6.46 million years ago.[37]

The last common ancestor of Leopardus, Puma and Lynx is estimated to have lived 10.95 to 6.3 million years ago, based on analysis of nuclear DNA of cat species.[4] Analysis of their mitochondrial DNA indicates that their last common ancestor lived 14.04 to 6.83 million years ago.[37] Leopardus forms an evolutionary lineage that genetically diverged between 4.25 to 2.02 million years ago[4] and 5.19 to 0.98 million years ago.[37] It crossed the Isthmus of Panama probably during the Great American Biotic Interchange in the late Pliocene.[4] Leopardus vorohuensis is an extinct species of the genus, of which fossils were found in the Argentinian Vorohué Formation dated to the early Pleistocene; its supraorbital foramen and shape of teeth resemble those of the pampas cat.[1]

Within the genus, three distinct clades were identified: one comprising the ocelot and the margay, a second the Andean mountain cat and Pampas cat, and the third the kodkod, oncilla and Geoffroy's cat.[38][39] The following cladogram shows estimated divergence times in million years ago (mya).

Phylogenetic relationships of living Leopardus species as derived through analysis of
nuclear DNA:[4]
Felidae 
 Felinae 
 Leopardus

Kodkod

Geoffroy's cat

1.21–0.41 mya

Oncilla

1.48–0.56 mya

Margay

Ocelot

2.41–1.01 mya

Pampas cat

Andean mountain cat

2.70–1.18 mya
3.56–1.68 mya
4.25–2.02 mya

other Felinae lineages

Pantherinae

mitochondrial DNA:[37]
Felidae
 Felinae 
Leopardus

South American oncilla

Pampas cat

4.17–0.02 mya

Andean mountain cat

4.71–0.26 mya

Ocelot

Margay

4.76–0.05 mya
4.91–0.64 mya

Geoffroy's cat

Kodkod

4.64–0.04 mya

Central American oncilla

4.85–0.35 mya
5.19–0.98 mya

other Felinae lineages

Pantherinae

References

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  35. ^ de Oliveira, Tadeu G.; Fox-Rosales, Lester A.; Ramírez-Fernández, José D. (2024). "Ecological modeling, biogeography, and phenotypic analyses setting the tiger cats' hyperdimensional niches reveal a new species". Scientific Reports. 14 (1): 2395. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-52379-8. PMC 10825201. PMID 38287072.
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  38. ^ Johnson, W.E.; Dratch, P.A.; Martenson, J.S. & O'Brien, S.J. (1996). "Resolution of recent radiations within three evolutionary lineages of Felidae using mitochondrial restriction fragment length polymorphism variation". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 3 (2): 297–120. doi:10.1007/BF01454358. S2CID 38348868.
  39. ^ Johnson, W. E.; Culver, M.; Iriarte, J. A.; Eizirik, E.; Seymour, K. L. & O'Brien, S. J. (1998). "Tracking the evolution of the elusive Andean mountain cat (Oreailurus jacobitus) from mitochondrial DNA" (PDF). Journal of Heredity. 89 (3): 227–232. doi:10.1093/jhered/89.3.227. PMID 9656464.

External links

  • Media related to Leopardus at Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related to Leopardus at Wikispecies
  • "Leopardus". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. 1.5. American Society of Mammalogists. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
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Melursus
  • Sloth bear (M. ursinus)
Tremarctos
  • Spectacled bear (T. ornatus)
Ursus
  • American black bear (U. americanus)
  • Brown bear (U. arctos)
  • Polar bear (U. maritimus)
  • Asian black bear (U. thibetanus)
Mephitidae
(Skunks)
Conepatus
(Hog-nosed
skunks)
  • Molina's hog-nosed skunk (C. chinga)
  • Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (C. humboldtii)
  • American hog-nosed skunk (C. leuconotus)
  • Striped hog-nosed skunk (C. semistriatus)
Mephitis
  • Hooded skunk (M. macroura)
  • Striped skunk (M. mephitis)
Mydaus
  • Sunda stink badger (M. javanensis)
  • Palawan stink badger (M. marchei)
Spilogale
(Spotted skunks)
  • Southern spotted skunk (S. angustifrons)
  • Western spotted skunk (S. gracilis)
  • Eastern spotted skunk (S. putorius)
  • Pygmy spotted skunk (S. pygmaea)
Procyonidae
(Raccoons, coatis, olingos)
Bassaricyon
(Olingos)
  • Eastern lowland olingo (B. alleni)
  • Northern olingo (B. gabbii)
  • Western lowland olingo (B. medius)
  • Olinguito (B. neblina)
Bassariscus
  • Ringtail (B. astutus)
  • Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti)
Nasua
(Coatis inclusive)
  • White-nosed coati (N. narica)
  • South American coati (N. nasua)
Nasuella
(Coatis inclusive)
  • Eastern mountain coati (N. meridensis)
  • Western mountain coati (N. olivacea)
Potos
  • Kinkajou (P. flavus)
Procyon
  • Crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus)
  • Raccoon (P. lotor)
  • Cozumel raccoon (P. pygmaeus)
Ailuridae
Ailurus
  • Red panda (A. fulgens)
Suborder Caniformia (cont. above)
Otariidae
(Eared seals)
(includes fur seals
and sea lions)
(Pinniped inclusive)
Arctocephalus
  • South American fur seal (A. australis)
  • Australasian fur seal (A. forsteri)
  • Galápagos fur seal (A. galapagoensis)
  • Antarctic fur seal (A. gazella)
  • Juan Fernández fur seal (A. philippii)
  • Brown fur seal (A. pusillus)
  • Guadalupe fur seal (A. townsendi)
  • Subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis)
Callorhinus
  • Northern fur seal (C. ursinus)
Eumetopias
  • Steller sea lion (E. jubatus)
Neophoca
  • Australian sea lion (N. cinerea)
Otaria
  • South American sea lion (O. flavescens)
Phocarctos
  • New Zealand sea lion (P. hookeri)
Zalophus
  • California sea lion (Z. californianus)
  • Galápagos sea lion (Z. wollebaeki)
Odobenidae
(Pinniped inclusive)
Odobenus
  • Walrus (O. rosmarus)
Phocidae
(Earless seals)
(Pinniped inclusive)
Cystophora
  • Hooded seal (C. cristata)
Erignathus
  • Bearded seal (E. barbatus)
Halichoerus
  • Grey seal (H. grypus)
Histriophoca
  • Ribbon seal (H. fasciata)
Hydrurga
  • Leopard seal (H. leptonyx)
Leptonychotes
  • Weddell seal (L. weddellii)
Lobodon
  • Crabeater seal (L. carcinophagus)
Mirounga
(Elephant seals)
  • Northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris)
  • Southern elephant seal (M. leonina)
Monachus
  • Mediterranean monk seal (M. monachus)
Neomonachus
  • Hawaiian monk seal (N. schauinslandi)
Ommatophoca
  • Ross seal (O. rossi)
Pagophilus
  • Harp seal (P. groenlandicus)
Phoca
  • Spotted seal (P. largha)
  • Harbor seal (P. vitulina)
Pusa
  • Caspian seal (P. caspica)
  • Ringed seal (P. hispida)
  • Baikal seal (P. sibirica)
Canidae
Large family listed below
Mustelidae
Large family listed below
Family Canidae (includes dogs)
Atelocynus
  • Short-eared dog (A. microtis)
Canis
  • Golden jackal (C. aureus)
  • Domestic dog (C. familiaris)
  • Coyote (C. latrans)
  • African wolf (C. lupaster)
  • Wolf (C. lupus)
  • Eastern wolf (C. lycaon)
  • Red wolf (C. rufus)
  • Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis)
Cerdocyon
  • Crab-eating fox (C. thous)
Chrysocyon
  • Maned wolf (C. brachyurus)
Cuon
  • Dhole (C. alpinus)
Lupulella
  • Side-striped jackal (L. adustus)
  • Black-backed jackal (L. mesomelas)
Lycalopex
  • Culpeo (L. culpaeus)
  • Darwin's fox (L. fulvipes)
  • South American gray fox (L. griseus)
  • Pampas fox (L. gymnocercus)
  • Sechuran fox (L. sechurae)
  • Hoary fox (L. vetulus)
Lycaon
  • African wild dog (L. pictus)
Nyctereutes
  • Common raccoon dog (N. procyonoides)
  • Japanese raccoon dog (N. viverrinus)
Otocyon
  • Bat-eared fox (O. megalotis)
Speothos
  • Bush dog (S. venaticus)
Urocyon
  • Gray fox (U. cinereoargenteus)
  • Island fox (U. littoralis)
Vulpes
(Foxes)
  • Bengal fox (V. bengalensis)
  • Blanford's fox (V. cana)
  • Cape fox (V. chama)
  • Corsac fox (V. corsac)
  • Tibetan fox (V. ferrilata)
  • Arctic fox (V. lagopus)
  • Kit fox (V. macrotis)
  • Pale fox (V. pallida)
  • Rüppell's fox (V. rueppelli)
  • Swift fox (V. velox)
  • Red fox (V. vulpes)
  • Fennec fox (V. zerda)
Family Mustelidae
Helictidinae
(Ferret-badgers)
Melogale
  • Vietnam ferret-badger (M. cucphuongensis)
  • Bornean ferret badger (M. everetti)
  • Chinese ferret-badger (M. moschata)
  • Javan ferret-badger (M. orientalis)
  • Burmese ferret-badger (M. personata)
  • Formosan ferret-badger (M. subaurantiaca)
Guloninae
(Martens and wolverines)
Eira
  • Tayra (E. barbara)
Gulo
  • Wolverine (G. gulo)
Martes
(Martens)
  • American marten (M. americana)
  • Pacific marten (M. caurina)
  • Yellow-throated marten (M. flavigula)
  • Beech marten (M. foina)
  • Nilgiri marten (M. gwatkinsii)
  • European pine marten (M. martes)
  • Japanese marten (M. melampus)
  • Sable (M. zibellina)
Pekania
  • Fisher (P. pennanti)
Ictonychinae
(African polecats and grisons)
Galictis
  • Lesser grison (G. cuja)
  • Greater grison (G. vittata)
Ictonyx
  • Saharan striped polecat (I. libyca)
  • Striped polecat (I. striatus)
Lyncodon
  • Patagonian weasel (L. patagonicus)
Poecilogale
  • African striped weasel (P. albinucha)
Vormela
  • Marbled polecat (V. peregusna)
Lutrinae
(Otters)
Aonyx
  • African clawless otter (A. capensis)
  • Asian small-clawed otter (A. cinereus)
  • Congo clawless otter (A. congicus)
Enhydra
  • Sea otter (E. lutris)
Hydrictis
  • Spotted-necked otter (H. maculicollis)
Lontra
  • North American river otter (L. canadensis)
  • Marine otter (L. felina)
  • Neotropical otter (L. longicaudis)
  • Southern river otter (L. provocax)
Lutra
  • Eurasian otter (L. lutra)
  • Hairy-nosed otter (L. sumatrana)
Lutrogale
  • Smooth-coated otter (L. perspicillata)
Pteronura
  • Giant otter (P. brasiliensis)
Melinae
(Eurasian badgers)
Arctonyx
  • Northern hog badger (A. albogularis)
  • Greater hog badger (A. collaris)
  • Sumatran hog badger (A. hoevenii)
Meles
  • Japanese badger (M. anakuma)
  • Caucasian badger (M. canescens)
  • Asian badger (M. leucurus)
  • European badger (M. meles)
Mellivorinae
Mellivora
  • Honey badger (M. capensis)
Mustelinae
(Weasels and minks)
Mustela
(Weasels and ferrets)
  • Sichuan weasel (M. aistoodonnivalis)
  • Mountain weasel (M. altaica)
  • Stoat/Beringian ermine (M. erminea)
  • Steppe polecat (M. eversmannii)
  • Ferret (M. furo)
  • Haida ermine (M. haidarum)
  • Japanese weasel (M. itatsi)
  • Yellow-bellied weasel (M. kathiah)
  • European mink (M. lutreola)
  • Indonesian mountain weasel (M. lutreolina)
  • Black-footed ferret (M. nigripes)
  • Least weasel (M. nivalis)
  • Malayan weasel (M. nudipes)
  • European polecat (M. putorius)
  • American ermine (M. richardsonii)
  • Siberian weasel (M. sibirica)
  • Back-striped weasel (M. strigidorsa)
Neogale
  • Amazon weasel (N. africana)
  • Colombian weasel (N. felipei)
  • Long-tailed weasel (N. frenata)
  • American mink (N. vison)
Taxidiinae
Taxidea
  • American badger (T. taxus)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Genera of civets, mongooses, hyenas, cats, and their extinct allies
†Palaeogalidae
†Nimravidae
Aeluroidea
Nandiniidae
Viverroidea
Viverridae
Genettinae
Hemigalinae
Paradoxurinae
Viverrinae
Herpestoidea
Herpestidae
    • See below↓
Hyaenidae
    • See below↓
Feloidea
    • See below↓
Eupleridae
Euplerinae
Galidiinae
Herpestidae
  • †Kichechia
  • †Legetetia
  • †Leptoplesictis
  • †Ugandictis
Herpestinae
Mungotinae
†Percrocutidae?
†Lophocyonidae
Hyaenidae
  • †Allohyaena
  • †Belbus
  • †Metahyaena
  • †Pliocrocuta
  • †Tongxinictis
  • †Werdelinus
†Ictitheriinae
Protelinae
Hyaeninae
†Barbourofelidae
  • (See Barbourofelidae)
Prionodontidae
Felidae
†Proailurinae
Felinae
†Machairodontinae
Pantherinae
Taxon identifiers
Leopardus
Authority control databases: National Edit this at Wikidata
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