Research overview: genetics and phylogeny of the jaguarundi

The jaguarundi is an unusually shaped small cat of the Americas, with an elongated body and uniform coat, whose molecular placement revealed it as a close relative of the puma and cheetah within the puma lineage. This overview surveys the genetic evidence for this surprising affinity, the species' wide but patchy distribution from the southern United States to South America, and the limited population genetic information available. It discusses the jaguarundi's two common color morphs, the conservation status of peripheral populations, and how its placement reinforced the recognition that the New World puma lineage produced morphologically diverse cats from a shared ancestry.