Phylogeography of the Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in India

摘要: The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is one of the most common and widely distributed carnivores in India but phylogeographic studies on species have been limited across its range. Recent observed absence mitochondrial (mt) DNA diversity European populations while some North African were found to carry gray wolf lupus lupaster) mtDNA lineages. In present study, we sequenced 440 basepairs (bp) control region (CR) 412 bp cytochrome b (cyt b) gene from 62 jackals sampled (n = 55), Israel 2) Bulgaria 5), obtain a total eighteen haplotypes, comprising sixteen each Bulgaria. Except for three previously described haplotypes represented by cyt CR haplotype both India, Bulgaria, all identified this study are new. Genetic was high compared that reported other canids India. Unlike paraphyletic status conspecifics with wolf, Indian (and Eurasian) clustered distinct shallow monophyletic clade, displaying no evidence admixture sympatric related domestic dog clades region. Phylogeographic analyses indicated clear pattern genetic structuring median joining network revealed star-shaped polytomy indicative recent expansion be interior thus ancestral Europe Israel, which peripheral hence more derived. Molecular tests demographic confirmed event subcontinent, can traced back ~ 37,000 years ago during late Pleistocene. Our results suggest had potentially longer evolutionary history than parts world, although further sampling Africa, Middle East south-east Asia needed test hypothesis.