Research overview: cryptic diversity and hybrid zones in the ocelot lineage

The small spotted cats of the ocelot lineage in South America, including the ocelot, margay, oncilla or tigrina, and pampas cat, present a tangle of cryptic species, hybrid zones, and unresolved boundaries. This overview surveys molecular studies that have split the oncilla into distinct species, documented a hybrid zone between southern tigrinas and pampas cats, and revealed deep mitochondrial lineages within nominal species. It discusses how this lineage exemplifies the discovery of hidden felid diversity through genetics, the conservation consequences of recognizing new species, and the challenges of delimiting cats that are morphologically similar but genetically distinct.