Have you heard of the golden jackal? It sounds like a mystical creature, and it has long been considered the species of other jackals — but new research suggests that’s not really the case.

These different species of jackals actually look alike, and for many years scientists have basically considered them to be the same species, according to a Reuters report.

But now, scientists are singing a different tune. They’ve conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis that determined that such the jackal populations of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe can be divided into two entirely separate species — and it’s the ones in Africa that are completely different.

The golden jackal, or Canis aureus, may end up being named Africa Canis anthus — the African golden wolf.

The decision comes amid findings that African and Eurasian golden jackals are actually distinct when their genetic markers are compared, suggesting two completely different lineages for the two species, according to a geneticist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington. The scientist, Klaus-Peter-Koepfli, said that surprisingly, these two species aren’t even closely related. The African population is much more closely connected to gray wolves and coyotes.

It’s not an insignificant finding for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it would raise the number of species in the Canidae family — which includes all manner of wild canines like foxes and wolves and jackals — to 36 from the previous figure of 35.

The now-dubbed African golden wolf is found in Africa in the northern and eastern portions of the continent, although some can be found in the Middle East. Eurasian golden jackals, meanwhile, are in the southern Europe to the Middle East, so there is some overlap. But scientists don’t think the Eurasian golden jackal originated in Africa.

Still, it’s not surprising they’d be confused. They have about the same body size, they resembles wolves, and their fur color is similar.