Science
DNA from 190-year-old museum specimen confirms distinct Himalayan pangolin species
Genetic analysis settled a taxonomic dispute, restoring the scientific name Manis aurita and giving conservationists tools to track illegally traded scales.
The short version
- Researchers sequenced DNA from an 1836 museum specimen to confirm that Himalayan pangolins in Nepal and northern India are a distinct species named Manis aurita.
- The finding establishes that M. aurita takes precedence over M. indoburmanica, a name proposed in 2025 after Himalayan pangolins were split from Chinese pangolins.
- Compared to the Chinese pangolin, M. aurita features a larger body, longer tail, smaller ears, and a distinct geographic range.
- Conservationists plan to use the study's genetic data to analyze seized scales and identify specific poaching hotspots.
Key facts
- DNA extracted from an 1836 Natural History Museum of London specimen confirmed that Himalayan pangolins in Nepal and northern India belong to the distinct species Manis aurita.[ScienceDaily]
- The research was published in the journal Communications Biology by an international team of scientists.[ScienceDaily]
- Under scientific naming priority rules, M. aurita replaces M. indoburmanica, a name proposed by another research group in 2025.[ScienceDaily]
- Manis aurita physically differs from the Chinese pangolin by having a larger body, a longer tail, and smaller ears, and the two species have non-overlapping geographic ranges.[ScienceDaily]
- Genetic tools developed in the study allow researchers to analyze confiscated pangolin scales to trace poaching back to specific species and regions.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
- 190-year-old DNA reveals a hidden pangolin speciesScienceDaily - Science