Scientists Discovered A New Cat Before Rockstar Could Finish GTA 6
Scientists announced the discovery of a new cat species, Leopardus tilcayo—commonly known as the tilcayo tiger cat—marking the first new feline species discovered in over a century. The discovery was disclosed in the scientific journal Current Biology. The small, spotted feline with distinctive round ears was found in Bolivia’s Yungas forest.
The humorous angle of this story stems from the timing: Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development since 2015, and in that time span, the scientific community has identified an entirely new species of cat. The tilcayo tiger cat is notably smaller than a typical housecat.
According to Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a co-author of the discovery report, the population status of this newly identified species remains unknown. The discovery was made somewhat serendipitously during research expeditions in the Bolivian Yungas region. The finding represents a significant biological discovery during an era when new species discoveries are increasingly rare.