title: Phylogenetics, genome diversity and origin of modern leopard, Panthera pardus.
abstract: Leopards, Panthera pardus, are widely distributed across southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The extent and phylogeographic patterns of molecular genetic diversity were addressed in a survey of 77 leopards from known geographical locales representing 13 of the 27 classical trinomial subspecies. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences (727 bp of NADH5 and control region) and 25 polymorphic microsatellite loci revealed abundant diversity that could be partitioned into a minimum of nine discrete populations, tentatively named here as revised subspecies: P. pardus pardus, P. p. nimr, P. p. saxicolor, P. p. fusca, P. p. kotiya, P. p. delacouri, P. p. japonensis, P. p. orientalis and P. p. melas. However, because of limited sampling of African populations, this may be an underestimate of modern phylogeographic population structure. Combined phylogeographic and population diversity estimates support an origin for modern leopard lineages 470,000-825,000 years ago in Africa followed by their migration into and across Asia more recently (170,000-300,000 years ago). Recent demographic reductions likely have led to genetic impoverishment in P. p. orientalis and in the island subspecies P. p. kotiya.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Uphyrkina
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Quigley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miquelle
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D001483:Base Sequence; D002335:Carnivora / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial