Large-scale assessment of genetic diversity and population connectivity of Amazonian jaguars (Panthera onca) provides a baseline for their conservation and monitoring in fragmented landscapes (Microsatellite loci dataset)

Jaguar population genetics has so far not been investigated on a broad scale in the Amazon rainforest, which constitutes the largest remaining block of continuous habitat for the species. Given its size, it serves not only as a stronghold but also as a reference for jaguar conservation genetics, against which fragmented landscapes can be compared. We assessed genetic diversity and population structure of Amazonian jaguars using 11 microsatellite loci and performed comparative analyses incorporating available data from two other South American biomes (Pantanal and Atlantic Forest) in which the species has faced different amounts of habitat loss and fragmentation. Using the largest genetic data set assembled to date for jaguars (n=190), we observed that all diversity indices were consistently higher for the Amazonian population, with no genetic subdivision detected in that region, indicating large-scale connectivity across >3000 km. In contrast, we corroborate the inference of anthropic-driven genetic structure and bottlenecks for two Atlantic Forest populations. Our results indicate that the Amazon is a critically important stronghold for jaguars, comprising a highly diverse, panmictic population that allows a glimpse into the patterns of genetic connectivity that characterized this species prior to human intervention. In contrast, the Atlantic Forest populations jointly still retain considerable levels of genetic diversity, but this is currently partitioned among isolated fragments that are increasingly subjected to heavy anthropic disturbance. These results have important implications for jaguar conservation planning, highlighting the critical condition of Atlantic Forest populations and providing a genetic baseline to which they can be compared.

截至目前，针对美洲豹（Jaguar）的种群遗传学研究尚未在亚马逊雨林开展过大规模系统性调研——而这片雨林正是该物种现存规模最大的连续栖息地带。鉴于其广袤的面积，这片雨林不仅是美洲豹的关键庇护所，同时也可作为美洲豹保护遗传学的参照基准，用于比对受栖息地碎片化影响的各类种群。本研究利用11个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci），对亚马逊雨林的美洲豹种群遗传多样性与种群结构进行了评估，并整合另外两处南美生物群系——潘塔纳尔（Pantanal）与大西洋森林（Atlantic Forest）——的已有数据开展对比分析。这两处生物群系中的美洲豹种群均面临不同程度的栖息地丧失与碎片化问题。本次研究整合了截至目前规模最大的美洲豹遗传数据集（样本量n=190），结果显示亚马逊种群的各项遗传多样性指数均显著高于其他种群，且该区域未检测到遗传分化，表明其种群间存在跨越超过3000公里的大规模基因交流。与之形成鲜明对比的是，本研究证实了大西洋森林的两个美洲豹种群存在由人类活动驱动的遗传分化与种群瓶颈效应。研究结果表明，亚马逊雨林是美洲豹极为关键的核心庇护所，其种群拥有极高的遗传多样性且属于泛交种群（panmictic population），这为我们揭示人类活动干预前该物种的自然基因交流模式提供了珍贵的研究窗口。与之相对，大西洋森林的美洲豹种群整体仍保留着可观的遗传多样性，但当前这些多样性被分割在彼此隔离的栖息地片段中，且各片段正日益遭受严重的人类活动干扰。本研究结果对美洲豹的保护规划具有重要指导意义：既凸显了大西洋森林美洲豹种群的濒危现状，同时也为其后续的保护监测提供了可用于比对的遗传学基线。