Archaeologists found the tiniest known cat fossil, identified as an extinct species of leopard cat, at an ancient human site approximately 300,000 years old in east China's Anhui Province, according to People's Daily. The fossil was excavated from a cave at the Hualongdong site by researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The ancient kitten was so small that it could comfortably fit in the palm of one's hand and was much smaller than the modern leopard cat. Its size was comparable to that of the smallest existing feline species: the rusty-spotted cat and the black-footed cat. Preserving fossils in the forest habitats where leopard cats lived was challenging.
The new species has been named Prionailurus kurteni (P. kurteni), suggesting a potentially high diversity of leopard cats during prehistoric times.
"The food scraps of ancient people at Hualongdong site might have lured rats and those small leopard cats as well," said Jiangzuo Qigao from the IVPP, according to B92. The fossil shows an inclined first molar, which provides evidence from the jawbone and teeth that supports the common ancestry of the leopard cat, domestic cat, and Pallas's cat, according to the study.
Molecular biology research supports that the leopard cat, domestic cat, and Pallas's cat share a common ancestor. Before this discovery, no fossil evidence had been identified to support the common ancestry of these species. Researchers from the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Northeast Forestry University in China also participated in the study.
"It's unclear whether these cats constituted part of the Hualongdong cave dwellers' diet, due to the absence of human butchery marks on the fossil's jawbone," added Jiangzuo, according to People's Daily. The discovery of the leopard cat fossil may help in understanding the diet of these ancient people.
Discovered in late 1988, the Hualongdong site has yielded remarkable finds during continuous excavations since 2013. Approximately 20 individual ancient human fossils, including a relatively complete skull dating back 300,000 years, have been discovered at Hualongdong. These human fossils are the earliest found in East Asia in terms of the evolutionary process towards Homo sapiens.
Over 400 stone artifacts have been unearthed at the Hualongdong site. Numerous bone fragments with evidence of artificial cutting and chopping have also been found. More than 80 vertebrate fossils have been unearthed, providing insights into the environment and fauna that coexisted with ancient humans.
"Discovering animal fossils at the Hualongdong site can help shed light on the environment, diet, and potential threats faced by the ancient people," said Jiangzuo from the IVPP, according to People's Daily.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq