The first new cat species discovered in 100 years

In 2017, biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz encountered an unusual spotted cat at a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary that she initially believed was a known species. Genetic analysis conducted years later revealed it was actually an entirely new felid species—the first discovery of its kind in over 100 years—published in Current Biology. The cat, which differs from similar species in its larger rosette markings and distinctive features, represents a completely novel species rather than a reclassification of a previously known one.