Revealing the maternal demographic history of Panthera leo using ancient DNA and a spatially explicit genealogical analysis.

摘要: Understanding the demographic history of a population is critical to conservation and our broader understanding evolutionary processes. For many tropical large mammals, however, this aim confounded by absence fossil material misleading signal obtained from genetic data recently fragmented isolated populations. This particularly true for lion which as consequence millennia human persecution, has gaps in its natural distribution several extinct We sequenced mitochondrial DNA museum-preserved individuals, including Barbary (Panthera leo leo) Iranian (P. l. persica), well lions West Central Africa. added these sample sequences, resulting set spanning historical range lions. Our Bayesian phylogeographical analyses provide evidence highly supported, reciprocally monophyletic clades. Using molecular clock, we estimated that recent lineages began diverge Late Pleistocene. Expanding equatorial rainforest probably separated South East Africa other African then expanded into during periods contraction. Lastly, found two separate incursions Asia North Africa, first India later Middle East. have identified deep, well-supported splits within phylogeny lions, arguing recognition some regional populations worthy independent conservation. More morphological nuclear are now needed test subdivisions.