BEIJING -- Archaeologists have unearthed the tiniest known cat fossil at an ancient human site in East China, identified as an extinct species of leopard cat. This diminutive feline was so petite that it could comfortably fit in the palm of one's hand.

The ancient kitten's size was comparable to that of the smallest existing feline species -- rusty-spotted cat and black-footed cat, much smaller than the modern leopard cat.

The researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences unearthed the fossil from a cave at the Hualongdong site in East China's Anhui province.

The new species was named Prionailurus kurteni or P. kurteni, according to a study published online in the Annales Zoologici Fennici.

Molecular biology research supports that the leopard cat, domestic cat and Pallas's cat share a common ancestor; however, no fossil evidence had been identified before the discovery. Preserving fossils in the forest habitats where leopard cats lived has proven to be challenging.

The fossil shows an inclined first molar, providing evidence from the jawbone and teeth that support the common ancestry of the three species, according to the study.

Chinese scientists have previously discovered dozens of human fossils at the site, dating back 300,000 years. These are the earliest fossils found in East Asia in terms of the evolutionary process towards Homo sapiens.

"The food scraps of ancient people at Hualongdong site might have lured rats and those small leopard cats as well," said Jiangzuo Qigao from the IVPP, the first author of the paper.

"It's unclear whether these cats constituted part of the Hualongdong cave dwellers' diet, due to the absence of human butchery marks on the fossil's jawbone," he added.

The identification of P. kurteni suggests a potentially high diversity of leopard cats during prehistorical times, according to the study.

Discovering animal fossils at the Hualongdong site can help shed light on the environment, diet and potential threats faced by the ancient people, said Jiangzuo.

Researchers from Swedish Museum of Natural History and Northeast Forestry University in China also participated in the study.

Discovered in late 1988, the Hualongdong site has yielded remarkable finds during continuous excavations since 2013.

Approximately 20 individual ancient human fossils, including a relatively complete skull, over 400 stone artifacts, numerous bone fragments with evidence of artificial cutting and chopping, and more than 80 vertebrate fossils have been unearthed at this site.