title: 50,000 years of genetic uniformity in the critically endangered Iberian lynx.
abstract: Low genetic diversity in the endangered Iberian lynx, including lack of mitochondrial control region variation, is thought to result from historical or Pleistocene/Holocene population bottlenecks, and to indicate poor long-term viability. We find no variability in control region sequences from 19 Iberian lynx remains from across the Iberian Peninsula and spanning the last 50,000 years. This is best explained by continuously small female effective population size through time. We conclude that low genetic variability in the Iberian lynx is not in itself a threat to long-term viability, and so should not preclude conservation efforts.
authors.affiliation: Centro Mixto, Universidad Complutense de Madrid-Instituto de Salud Carlos III de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, Pabellón 14. 28029 Madrid, Spain. ricardo_eyre@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Cristina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Valdiosera
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alda
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Madurell-Malapeira
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marmi
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Doadrio
authors.forename: Eske
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Willerslev
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Götherström
authors.forename: Juan Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Arsuaga
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lalueza-Fox
authors.forename: Love
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dalén
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D056727:Endangered Species; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D046008:Lynx / Q000235:genetics*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011156:Population Density; D011174:Portugal; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial