The pangolin is among the animals that suffer most from illegal hunting. These creatures are under threat, but the discovery of a mysterious species that is new to science could help conservationists fight their extinction, researchers say.
There are eight species of pangolin known so far: four are found in Asia and four in Africa. These solitary, anteater-like mammals are illegally hunted and trafficked for their meat and distinctive armor-like scales, which groups of people believe have medicinal value.
Scientists studying smuggled scales confiscated in Hong Kong and China’s Yunnan province between 2012 and 2019 have identified genetic markers that have not been seen in any known pangolins. Genomic analysis revealed that it is a ninth species, which the team named Manis mysteria.
The researchers reported their findings in a study published Monday in the journal PNAS.
“We were quite surprised because we did not expect that a new species could be discovered from confiscated scales,” said study co-author Jing-Yan Hu, research assistant at the State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bioresources at Yunnan University, by email.
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The study team performed a structural analysis of 33 scale samples from several different seizures. Five scales were attached to the skin and three to the claws. The remaining samples came from individual scales belonging to pangolin tails, backs, bellies or heads.
Studying genomes can help protect endangered species
The shape of the scales initially suggested that they belonged to one of four species of pangolin found in Asia. But DNA analysis showed that their “genomic data provides strong and convincing evidence that this is a new species of pangolin distinct from those previously recognized,” Hu said.
Finding a new “large mammal” isn’t something that happens every day, said Aryn Wilder, a conservation genetics researcher at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Wilder was not involved in the new investigation.
One of the most recent discoveries made through genomics was the identification, in 2017, of an unknown species of orangutan. “While not impossible, findings like these are quite unusual,” Wilder insisted, adding that the results of the pangolin study were compelling.
“I think the methods [do estudo] are solid and their findings are quite conclusive,” he said.
Greater understanding of “pangolin diversity and evolution”
Little is known about the mystery of Manis, but now that its existence has been established, conservationists can work to protect it.
Discovering a ninth species is important, Hu said. The revelation “greatly expands current knowledge about pangolin diversity and evolution,” Hu said. “The discovery also raises other conservation concerns and joint efforts to help address the supply and demand side of the pangolin trade.”
The discovery is very important, Wilder said in an email. “The identification of this new species will allow conservationists to focus their management efforts on preventing its extinction.”
Extinction is defined at the species level. “When a species goes extinct, its unique biodiversity is lost,” Wilder said.
“With the discovery of a new, likely endangered, pangolin species, and with more research to learn about its distribution, ecology, life history and conservation status, conservation strategies can be specifically adapted to ensure the survival of this pangolin. species.”
Because Manis mysteria has only slight genetic variation from other pangolins, the species is described as “cryptic.”
Cryptic species are not easy to differentiate from others by appearance alone, so the new ability to identify pangolin species through scale testing is a boon for conservation scientists.
“Often a rare species is confused with a more common one,” Wilder said. “With the advancement of DNA technologies, we are getting better at identifying cryptic species.”
This means the recent revelation could be just the beginning. “We also hope to find other pangolin species,” Hu said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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