Flat-Headed Cat Thought Extinct

In southeast Asia, there was an unusual type of wild feline called the flat-headed cat. It was considered endangered since 2008 and, until recently, “possibly extinct.” However, the flat-headed cat’s continued existence has been confirmed using remote camera trap images in Southern Thailand. Before that, none had been seen for 3 decades.

These remote cameras saw the flat-headed cat 13 times in 2024 and 16 times in 2025. This was the first they’d been seen since 1995 and comprised the largest survey of the species ever done. At one point, a female flat-headed cat was recorded with her cub, so there is reproduction happening in the area.

A flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is a small wild cat with short reddish-brown fur. Its head is elongated, and its ears rounded. Its slender body is 16-20 inches long with a tail of 5-6 inches in length. It weighs 3.3 to 5.5 lb. The flat-headed cat has a distinctive flattened forehead. The are the smallest wild cats in Southeast Asia and weigh less than half as much as a typical domestic cat. They may be closely related to leopard cats and fishing cats.

First described in 1827 based on a zoological specimen collected in Sumatra, it is also native to the Thai-Malay Peninsula and Borneo. It inhabits wetlands like mixed freshwater swamp forests, peat swamp forests, and lowland freshwater swamps near rivers and coasts. It typically preys on fish, frogs, and crustaceans.

Besides the cat’s small size, limited numbers, and nocturnal behavior, the species has an elusive nature that makes it difficult to observe. Additionally, litters normally only produce one cub.

Although small, the cat’s webbed toes help it be the apex predator in peat and wetland swamp ecosystems. They have been threatened by habitat loss from land conversion, fishing, agricultural encroachment, hunting, pollution of waterways, and diseases spread from domestic animals. To help combat this, local Muslim communities help conserve the species by not hunting wildlife, depending on fishing, and collecting forest products.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/flat-headed-cat-once-seen-as-possibly-extinct-seen-for-first-time-in-years/ar-AA1T7MNS?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69504ba802754e8997779ac7d601a875&ei=96

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat-headed_cat

Galaxy with Double Nucleus

We all assume that every galaxy has a nucleus at its center. But astronomers have discovered that the nearby galaxy NGC-4486B has a double nucleus, which they hadn’t seen before. NGC-4486B is located close to the Virgo Cluster’s central region. This discovery gives new insight into the end stages of supermassive black hole (SMBH) mergers. When such things happen, they shape galaxies across cosmic time.

Using advanced methods of observation, the team found two distinct bright regions at NGC-4486B’s center. This strongly suggests that the galaxy has two compact stellar components. Each would potentially be associated with an SMBH remnant.

Detailed measurements revealed slight differences in the brightness and motion of stars near its galactic core. These differences would be consistent with the gravitational influence of a pair of black holes that had recently merged.

Galaxies with dual nuclei are rarely observed. Although once considered a calm and ancient elliptical system, NGC-4486B now seems to bear the scars of a recent cosmic event. This event could redefine our understanding of black hole mergers in mature galaxies.

Not long ago on a cosmic timescale, indications are that two supermassive black holes at the core of NGC-4486B. Despite its proximity to the massive M87 in the Virgo cluster and the age of the galaxy, the data says that final relaxation is incomplete, which leaves a record of this violent past. Since its SMBH have merged relatively recently, its nucleus is a rare change for studying post-merger SMBH dynamics.

NGC-4486B is one of a handful of galaxies that can be directly probed as to the aftermath of black hole mergers. This stage is usually hidden by dust, distance, or time. This galaxy’s proximity gives astronomers an opportunity to redress models of gravitational wave emission as well as stellar dynamics in post-merger systems.

Obviously, black hole activity can persist even in old, staid galaxies. A supermassive black hole merger releases horrendous amounts of energy, which can reshape surrounding stellar orbits and alter the galaxy’s form and structure.

Using the signatures of this merger, scientists can test theoretical models. NGC-4486B could be used as a benchmark for studying these types of mergers and could bridge the gap between simulations and observation.

Observing a double nucleus system may prove how galaxies like our Milky Way might evolve after their central black holes merge. In addition, next-generation observatories may soon detect low-frequency gravitational waves from other similar, nearby systems.

NGC-4486B reminds us that even tranquil galaxies can hide the echoes of cosmic violence.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/astronomers-uncover-mysterious-double-nucleus-at-the-heart-of-galaxy-ngc-4486b/ar-AA1T83Ox?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69504ba802754e8997779ac7d601a875&ei=55