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Ecological modeling, biogeography, and phenotypic analyses setting the tiger cats' hyperdimensional niches reveal a new species.

ABSTRACT: 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.

SUBMITTER: de Oliveira TG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10825201 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Ecological modeling, biogeography, and phenotypic analyses setting the tiger cats' hyperdimensional niches reveal a new species.

de Oliveira Tadeu G TG Fox-Rosales Lester A LA Ramírez-Fernández José D JD Cepeda-Duque Juan C JC Zug Rebecca R Sanchez-Lalinde Catalina C Oliveira Marcelo J R MJR Marinho Paulo H D PHD Bonilla-Sánchez Alejandra A Marques Mara C MC Cassaro Katia K Moreno Ricardo R Rumiz Damián D Peters Felipe B FB Ortega Josué J Cavalcanti Gitana G Mooring Michael S MS Blankenship Steven R SR Brenes-Mora Esteban E Dias Douglas D Mazim Fábio D FD Eizirik Eduardo E Diehl Jaime L JL Marques Rosane V RV Ribeiro Ana Carolina C ACC Cruz Reginaldo A RA Pasa Emanuelle E Meira Lyse P C LPC Pereira Alex A Ferreira Guilherme B GB de Pinho Fernando F FF Sena Liana M M LMM de Morais Vinícius R VR Ribeiro Luiz Micheli M Moura Vitor E C VEC Favarini Marina O MO Leal Karla P G KPG Wagner Paulo G C PGC Dos Santos Maurício C MC Sanderson James J Araújo Elienê P EP Rodrigues Flávio H G FHG

Scientific reports 20240129 1

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. Morpho ...[more]

PMID: 38287072

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Dataset Information

Ecological modeling, biogeography, and phenotypic analyses setting the tiger cats' hyperdimensional niches reveal a new species.

Publications

Ecological modeling, biogeography, and phenotypic analyses setting the tiger cats' hyperdimensional niches reveal a new species.

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