Historical mitochondrial diversity in African leopards (Panthera pardus) revealed by archival museum specimens

Once found throughout Africa and Eurasia, the leopard (Panthera pardus) was recently uplisted from Near Threatened to Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Historically, more than 50% of the leopard’s global range occurred in continental Africa, yet sampling from this part of the species’ distribution is only sparsely represented in prior studies examining patterns of genetic variation at the continental or global level. Broad sampling to determine baseline patterns of genetic variation throughout the leopard’s historical distribution is important, as these measures are currently used by the IUCN to direct conservation priorities and management plans. By including data from 182 historical museum specimens, faecal samples from ongoing field surveys, and published sequences representing sub-Saharan Africa, we identify previously unrecognized genetic diversity in African leopards. Our mtDNA data indicates high levels of divergence among regional populations and strongly differentiated lineages in West Africa on par with recent studies of other large vertebrates. We provide a reference benchmark of genetic diversity in African leopards against which future monitoring can be compared. These findings emphasize the utility of historical museum collections in understanding the processes that shape present biodiversity. Additionally, we suggest future research to clarify African leopard taxonomy and to differentiate between delineated units requiring monitoring or conservation action.

曾广泛分布于非洲与欧亚大陆的豹（Panthera pardus），近日已被世界自然保护联盟（International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN）从近危（Near Threatened）物种名录上调至易危（Vulnerable）等级。历史上，该物种全球分布范围中有超过50%位于非洲大陆，但此前针对该物种大陆尺度乃至全球尺度遗传变异模式的研究中，非洲区域的采样覆盖极为不足。为明确豹在历史分布范围内的遗传变异基线模式，开展大范围采样工作至关重要——当前世界自然保护联盟正依托此类数据确定保护优先级并制定管理规划。本研究整合了182份历史馆藏标本、当前野外调查获取的粪便样本，以及已发表的撒哈拉以南非洲（sub-Saharan Africa）序列数据，首次揭示了非洲豹中此前未被认知的遗传多样性。我们的线粒体DNA（mtDNA）数据分析结果显示，非洲豹不同区域种群间存在高度分化，西非区域的支系分化程度显著，与其他大型脊椎动物的近期研究结果相符。本研究为非洲豹的遗传多样性提供了参考基准，可用于后续的监测对比工作。这些研究结果凸显了历史馆藏标本在解析塑造当前生物多样性的过程中的重要应用价值。此外，本研究还提出未来研究方向：厘清非洲豹的分类学问题，并区分出需要开展监测或采取保护行动的演化单元。