An international team of researchers unveiled new insights into the evolutionary history of the snow leopard, challenging long-held beliefs about this elusive big cat's habitat preferences. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, traced the snow leopard's evolutionary path during the Quaternary period by analyzing rare fossils discovered across the Eurasian continent.
The researchers analyzed five snow leopard fossil records from locations outside the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, including Beijing, northwest China's Gansu Province, France, and Portugal, some dating back about one million years, according to China Daily. By combining DNA sequences with morphological data, they determined that the fossil snow leopards were not an independent lineage but small offshoots of the main snow leopard branch.
"It is likely that these offshoots represent multiple dispersals of snow leopards out of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau at different times," said Deng Tao, a researcher from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), as reported by News China. The IVPP, along with the Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborated with researchers from Italy, Portugal, and France on the study.
The snow leopard is a large feline native to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and its surrounding regions, renowned for its adaptations to extreme high-altitude environments. These adaptations include large teeth, a massive skull, powerful paws, and a long tail for maintaining balance, which allowed snow leopards to hunt large animals such as mountain goats and survive during glacial periods.
However, the discovery challenges traditional views of snow leopards as exclusively high-altitude animals. Researchers suggest that the presence of rocky and open territories is more important than altitude and snow for the snow leopard's survival, which likely enabled them to expand their range beyond the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, noted Gazeta.ru.
By comparing key morphological features of fossil snow leopards with modern specimens, the research team found evidence that the species underwent changes during the Middle Pleistocene period. "This timeframe coincides with the emergence of large ice sheets on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau," said Wang Shiqi, a researcher from the IVPP, according to News China. Since the Middle Pleistocene, increased global climate variability led to more severe and prolonged glacial periods.
The Middle Pleistocene also marks the period when many members of the Caprinae sub-family began to migrate from the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau into North China and Europe. "This migration of the Caprinae sub-family parallels the movement of snow leopards from the plateau," added Wang. The study revealed that while the fossil sites are generally located at relatively low elevations, they were situated in mountainous environments.
One of the key findings is a skull discovered in Porto in the 2000s, which confirmed the presence of snow leopards in Western Europe about 40,000 years ago, as reported by Gazeta.ru. Scientists plan to study the neuroanatomy and ecology of the snow leopard from Portugal in depth. These findings may play an important role in the conservation of the snow leopard, whose population currently numbers only about 4,000 individuals.
"These insights are important to the ongoing conservation efforts of the flagship species on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and also prove the usefulness of preservation paleontology," said Deng. Understanding the snow leopard's adaptability and historical range suggests that the presence of suitable terrain and prey played a crucial role in their dispersal across Eurasia.
"In the context of current climate changes, this gives hope for the survival of the species, as snow leopards may adapt to changing conditions," noted Joan Madurell Malapeira from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq