One key definition that students need to know in A-Level Biology is that of a species. A species is group of individuals with a similar appearance who can interbreed successfully to produce fertile offspring. This is the biological species concept. Identifying organisms at species level is important for any monitoring of biodiversity and enabling conservation efforts. A population is another important definition – a group of individuals of the same species that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. For a species to survive there need to be enough individuals in the population to maintain high enough reproduction to support and maintain the population.

It’s lovely to share a good news story with you about a spotted cat found in the forests of Bolivia that is confirmed to be a new species. The cat in question is a similar size to a domestic cat but also very similar to other wild cats that have a similar appearance (morphology), especially with its patterns of spots and stripes.

To be sure of the species, DNA technology comes in handy. By comparing DNA base sequences of common genes and other sections of DNA between cat species, it has been confirmed that this cat is in a species of its own. DNA can be obtained from living specimens and from those in a museum. It is a type of tiger cat and the study carried out suggested that there are actually five distinct species, not the three that were already documented. Tiger cats are vulnerable to extinction – their populations are reducing due to habitat destruction from deforestation and also from illegal hunting.

Now we know about this new species, work can be carried out to protect their habitats and stop the illegal hunting.

The classification of a species is into larger groups called taxa. All cat species belong to the cat family, Felidae. There are currently 41 species that are documented, but this new study has increased it to 44 species and maybe there are more to find!

Download the article from the bbc.co.uk page here

Download the article from the current biology page here