Smithsonian scientist and curator of mammals at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History Kristofer Helgen led the research team that made the discovery.
“The discovery of the olinguito shows us that the world is not yet completely explored, its most basic secrets not yet revealed,” Helgen said in a statement. “If new carnivores can still be found, what other surprises await us? So many of the world’s species are not yet known to science. Documenting them is the first step toward understanding the full richness and diversity of life on Earth.”