h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4501152.stm

Looks like a (new species of?) fossa (a viverrid from Madagascar) to me. But of course that could be attributed to convergent evolution.

Interesting!

I thought Madagascan mammals had a long divergence from everywhere else--I'm surprised that something in Borneo could look so like them (I'm taking your word for it--I don't know enough about them myself to tell!)

Azara

Hello, Azara.

You're right about Madagascan mammals, but they're still related to mammals elsewhere. And 'looking like an animal elsewhere, even if they're not related', is exactly what convergent evolution is. It's basically the same sort of environmental pressure causing animals to look similar. A famous example are dolphins and ichthyosaurs (the long extinct sea reptiles.)

...or even the heads of deer and kangaroos...

That's a fascinating report about the new mammal. Eyes on front means predator and carnivore - eyes glowing means adapted for night vision so nocturnal - long strong tail could mean a tree dweller. All this from only two photos.

I don't know why that report doesn't put both pictures on the web page, though, instead of making a little video presentation which you have to run before you can see the second picture.

Wow, interesting article

It does lead me to wonder how many more mammal species are left undiscovered on earth...

You're right about the video presentation though --- I am not allowed access at work and it doesn't seem to want to run on my home PC.

Dutch zoologist Chris Smeenk recently stated the animal may well be a color variety of the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata). Guess we'll have to wait and see...