Photograph by Aline Coquelle From a sandy, rock-strewn floor, an Arabian leopard cub launches itself ... For now, the poised figure of Amal forms a fragile but breathtaking link to the past ...

The rock features spots of black, blue, or greenish hues, which the researchers have nicknamed "poppy seeds." Alongside these are dozens of dark-rimmed, millimeter-size splotches dubbed "leopard ...