Scientists have discovered the ninth species of pangolins, known as the world's most heavily poached animals.
There are eight previously known pangolin species, four of which are found in Asia and four in Africa.
The solitary mammals, which resemble anteaters, are illegally hunted and smuggled for their meat and unusual armor like scales, which some people believe have therapeutic benefits.
Manis mysteria
Between 2012 and 2019, scientists examining the illegal scales captured in Hong Kong and China's Yunnan region discovered genetic markers not seen in any known pangolin.
The genome analysis identified an unexpected ninth species, Manis mysteria, which the team has named.
"We were quite surprised because we did not expect a new species could be discovered from seized scales," said study coauthor Jing-Yan Hu, a research assistant at the State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource at Yunnan University.
The findings that were revealed in a paper published in the journal PNAS say the research team conducted a structural examination on scale samples from various confiscations.
To assess whether the scales belonged to a new species, researchers compared 17 genomes from stolen pangolin scales to 138 genomes from the animal's eight known species.
They also examined the shape and structure of the 33 seized scales and discovered traits similar to those of Asian pangolins, implying that the mystery creatures belong to Manis, the Asian pangolin group, rather than Phataginus or Smutsia, the African pangolin groups.
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Protect threatened species
While the ninth pangolin has yet to be discovered and formally characterized by scientists, that does not mean it is unknown.
This makes M. mysteria an example of cryptic diversity, in which distinct evolutionary lineages are difficult to distinguish because they resemble already known species. M. mysteria could not be distinguished from other Asian pangolins based solely on its scales, according to the researchers.
Hu said the discovery also calls for more conservation concerns and joint efforts to help tackle the supply and demand of pangolin trade.
Experts stressed that the discovery is critical, as the identification of this new species will allow conservationists to focus management efforts to prevent its extinction.
"Once a species is extinct, its unique biodiversity is lost," said Dr. Aryn Wilder, a researcher specializing in conservation genetics at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. "With the discovery of a new pangolin species, one that is likely endangered, and with more research to learn about its range, ecology, life-history and conservation status, conservation strategies can be tailored specifically to ensure that this species survives."
According to conservationists, more than a million pangolins were poached from the wild in the decades up to 2014, and all foreign trading has been prohibited since 2016.
Despite its enigmatic character, there have been previous speculations that the pangolin family is larger than previously thought.
The recent discovery could be the start, and scientists are expecting to find other pangolin species.
Finding a new "large-bodied mammal" is not something that happens every day.
One of the most recent genetic discoveries was the finding of a new kind of orangutan in 2017.
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