{"data":{"id":2264,"lang":"en","title":"190-Year-Old Museum DNA Reveals New Himalayan Pangolin Species","summary":"DNA from a 190-year-old museum specimen confirms a distinct Himalayan pangolin species, giving conservationists a new tool against trafficking.","category":"science","category_label":"Science","published_at":"2026-08-27T14:01:29Z","updated_at":"2026-08-27T14:01:29Z","url":"https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/2264-190-year-old-museum-dna-reveals-new-himalayan-pangolin-species","api_url":"https://techtools.cz/news-api/v1/articles/2264?lang=en","markdown_url":"https://techtools.cz/news-api/v1/articles/2264.md?lang=en","image_url":"https://sciencedaily.com/images/1920/manis-aurita-pangolin.webp","word_count":147,"reading_time_minutes":1,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260826055500.htm","domain":"sciencedaily.com"}],"translation":{"lang":"cs","id":2337,"title":"DNA z 190 let starého muzejního exempláře odhalila nový druh himálajského luskouna","url":"https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2337-dna-z-190-let-stareho-muzejniho-exemplare-odhalila-novy-druh-himalajskeho","api_url":"https://techtools.cz/news-api/v1/articles/2337?lang=cs"},"content":"Scientists have confirmed that pangolins living in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal and northern India belong to a distinct species, Manis aurita, after extracting DNA from a specimen collected in 1836 and preserved for nearly 190 years at London's Natural History Museum.\n\nThe finding corrects a naming mix-up: pangolins in the region had been classified as a subspecies of the Chinese pangolin, then briefly renamed Manis indoburmanica in 2025 after researchers spotted genetic differences. The historical DNA proved that name was wrong — the animals matched Manis aurita, a species first described in 1836 but since forgotten.\n\nManis aurita is larger, has a longer tail and smaller ears than its Chinese relative. Pangolins are the world's most trafficked mammal, poached for scales used in traditional medicine; researchers led by Chicago's Field Museum say correctly identifying species lets conservationists trace seized scales back to the specific populations under threat."}}