In 1836, a pangolin from Nepal entered a London museum collection. 190 years later, scientists sequenced its preserved DNA and confirmed Manis aurita as a distinct species, giving conservationists a new tool against poaching

In 1836, a pangolin collected in Nepal became part of a museum collection in London. Nearly two centuries later, scientists returned to that preserved specimen for answers. By sequencing its historic DNA, researchers confirmed that Manis aurita is a distinct pangolin species. The finding could give conservationists a new way to identify which pangolins are being targeted by poachers and where those animals come from.

What did the old specimen reveal?

Pangolins are among the most heavily trafficked mammals in the world. Their bodies are covered in overlapping scales, which have made them a target for illegal wildlife trade. The animals are now at risk of extinction.


The newly confirmed species is an Asian pangolin found in Nepal and northern India. Its story began with a specimen described in 1836, which was later treated as a subspecies of the Chinese pangolin.

Scientists working on the pangolin family tree had already been examining how many species exist and how closely they are related. Their work involved comparing physical characteristics as well as DNA.

The researchers were particularly interested in the relationship between the Himalayan pangolin that had been named Manis indoburmanica and the much older name Manis aurita. The question was whether they represented the same species.

The answer came from a place where scientists had preserved evidence for almost 190 years: the Natural History Museum in London.

“The ultimate, most thrilling piece of the puzzle came from the Natural History Museum [NHM] in London,” added Kai He, a study co-author and researcher at Guangzhou University in China. “Thanks to their incredible expertise and assistance, the NHM team successfully sequenced the DNA directly from the historical type specimen of the Nepalese subspecies (aurita). This specimen dates back to 1836, making it nearly 190 years old.”

The DNA from the historic specimen provided the crucial evidence. Modern Himalayan pangolin specimens matched the old aurita sample, showing that the species described as M. indoburmanica in 2025 should instead carry the name M. aurita.

How is the Himalayan pangolin different?

The differences between the Himalayan pangolin, M. aurita, and the Chinese pangolin may be easy to overlook, but researchers say they are important.

The Himalayan species has a larger body, a longer tail and noticeably smaller ears than the Chinese pangolin. Its scientific name also reflects one of those features.

“The newly resurrected species name, aurita, even refers to its distinct ears,” said Feijó.

The researchers also found that the two species occupy separate geographical areas that do not overlap. That distinction matters when scientists and conservationists are trying to understand where threatened animals are being hunted.

Why does identifying the species matter?

Pangolins are targeted by poachers because their scales are believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac in traditional Chinese medicine. The demand has made illegal hunting profitable and created a serious threat to pangolin populations.

But identifying the exact species involved in the trade is difficult.

“In the marketplaces you basically only find pangolin scales, not the whole animals, which makes it hard to know which species are being hunted and where they are coming from,” says Feijó.

DNA analysis could help solve that problem. Scientists can examine pangolin material seized from illegal marketplaces and determine which species it came from. Conservationists can then work backwards to identify the regions facing the greatest poaching pressure.

That information could help authorities target conservation efforts more precisely and could also support attempts to return pangolins to the regions where they belong.

For the researchers, the discovery also highlights the value of museum collections. Specimens preserved for more than a century can contain information that becomes useful when modern DNA techniques are applied to them.

“We can’t protect what we do not know, and now that we have confirmed that this other species of pangolin exists, we can use that information to help protect these endangered animals,” Anderson Feijó, a study co-author and mammologist at the Field Museum in Chicago, said in a statement.

“The confirmation of Manis aurita as a valid species demonstrates the importance of long-term research, international collaboration, and museum collections,” added study co-author Narayan Koju, a biologist Pokhara University in Nepal. “Most importantly, it provides a strong scientific basis for conservation planning, wildlife forensics, and efforts to protect one of the world’s most trafficked mammals from extinction.”

The study, “Integrative taxonomy reveals a cryptic pangolin species in the Himalayas,” was published in Communications Biology. The research confirms Manis aurita as a valid species and uses historical museum DNA alongside modern specimens to clarify the pangolin family tree.

FAQs

Why is Manis aurita important?
It is a distinct Himalayan pangolin species.

How could DNA help?
It can help identify poached pangolin species.