We know that the domestic cat has distant relatives that roam the earth -- lions, tigers, cheetahs and mountain lions. Less familiar are the 38 distinct species in the Family Felidae, many with strange names like pampas cat, kodkod and rusty spotted cat. The new field of genomics -- the unravelling of DNA genomes of separate species -- is resolving old conundrums and revealing new secrets across the history of evolutionarily related species among cats, dogs, bears and ourselves.

 

In the largest-ever study undertaken of Chinese cats, genetic detectives highlight the evolutionary uniqueness and premier conservation importance of the elusive Chinese mountain cat (Felis silvestris bieti), found only in the Tibetan plateau of China. Also called Chinese desert cat or Steppe cat, the Chinese mountain cat has a distinctive appearance of sand colored fur, with faint dark stripes a thick tail and light blue pupils.