South America | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/south-america-1/RSS feed for South AmericaenMon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000Meet the Adorable and Tiny Tilcayo, the First Brand-New Cat Species Identified in More Than a Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-adorable-and-tiny-tilcayo-the-first-brand-new-cat-species-identified-in-more-than-a-century-180989528/Discovered in a cloud forest in Bolivia, the diminutive felines are smaller than a house cat and covered in large, irregularly shaped rosettesMon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-adorable-and-tiny-tilcayo-the-first-brand-new-cat-species-identified-in-more-than-a-century-180989528/These 15 Stunning Photographs Capture All That There Is to Love About the People, Land and Culture of Argentinahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/these-15-stunning-photographs-capture-all-that-there-is-to-love-about-the-people-land-and-culture-of-argentina-180989373/See images of the South American country’s charming cities, historic homes, beautiful beaches and majestic mountainsFri, 21 Aug 2026 11:30:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/these-15-stunning-photographs-capture-all-that-there-is-to-love-about-the-people-land-and-culture-of-argentina-180989373/Brazil's First Urban Yellow Fever Outbreak in Nearly a Century May Have Been Fueled by a Surprising Culprithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/Extremely wet conditions are known to help spread mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever. But based on computer simulations, researchers suspect that a severe drought may have contributed to the South American country’s recent deadly epidemicWed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/Ancient North American Mammals May Have Gathered in Mexico and Diversified Before Moving to South America, Priming Them to Thrive Therehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-north-american-mammals-may-have-gathered-in-mexico-and-diversified-before-moving-to-south-america-priming-them-to-thrive-there-180989251/An analysis of fossils from the country hints that animals from the north stayed in a "holding pen" between seven million and ten million years ago. The timeline might help explain why so many South American mammals have North American ancestry, but not vice versaTue, 04 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-north-american-mammals-may-have-gathered-in-mexico-and-diversified-before-moving-to-south-america-priming-them-to-thrive-there-180989251/Smallpox DNA Hidden for Centuries in Mummies Found in Chile Suggests European Colonists Brought the Virus to the Americashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-dna-hidden-for-centuries-in-mummies-found-in-chile-suggests-european-colonists-brought-the-virus-to-the-americas-180989244/Researchers say they found the first direct, molecular proof of the deadly trajectory the virus tookMon, 03 Aug 2026 15:27:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-dna-hidden-for-centuries-in-mummies-found-in-chile-suggests-european-colonists-brought-the-virus-to-the-americas-180989244/