Linsangs (Prionodon Horsfield, 1822) are small, arboreal feliform carnivorans that live in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and southern China. Several lines of morphological evidence from the soft tissues, dentition, and basicranium support their placement in either Prionodontinae or Viverrinae of Viverridae. However, molecular evidence has not only excluded the linsangs from Viverridae but also established that they constitute a monogeneric family Prionodontidae sister to Felidae. For that reason, the examination of the skull osteology of linsangs and related taxa is necessary to better understand how morphological and molecular data – particularly morphology – have contributed to the reconstruction of the Feliformia phylogeny. During the summer field season in July of 2020, we stumbled across the carcass of a spotted linsang (P. pardicolor) in a karst cave on the outskirts of Chongzuo City. To contribute to the knowledge about the morphology of this enigmatic feliform carnivoran, we present a preliminary description of the exterior skull osteology of P. pardicolor. The craniodental morphology provides strong evidence for a closer phylogenetic relationship between P. pardicolor and Viverrinae. However, since both morphological and molecular approaches have inherent limitations, caution is urged when inferring feliform phylogeny based on either discipline alone.

林狸(Prionodon)是一种生活在东南亚及中国南方热带-亚热带森林中的小型树栖猫型食肉类。一些基于软组织、牙齿和颅基部的形态学证据支持将其归入灵猫科(Viverridae)的林狸亚科(Prionodontinae)或灵猫亚科(Viverrinae)中。然而，分子生物学证据不仅将林狸排除在灵猫科之外，还支持它们与猫科构成姐妹群，单独构成林狸科(Prionodontidae)。因此，对林狸以及相关类群的头骨进行骨骼学研究，有助于更好地理解形态学和分子生物学证据在重建猫型亚目(Feliformia)系统发育过程中所起的作用。2020年7月的野外调查于广西崇左市郊的一处溶洞内偶然发现了一具斑林狸(Prionodon pardicolor)标本。为了对这种神秘的小型猫型食肉类有更多的了解和认识，在此对斑林狸头骨外部特征逐一进行骨骼学描述。其颅骨与牙齿的形态特征为斑林狸和灵猫亚科之间存在更近的系统发育关系提供了有力证据。不过，由于形态学和分子学方法都各自有其固有的局限性，在仅基于其中一种方法推断猫型亚目系统发育关系时需格外谨慎。