IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| O'Brien, S.J. | |
| Recognizing Felid Taxonomic Units: The Case of the Tiger and Clouded Leopard | |
| 2007 Conference Proceeding | |
Molecular genetic techniques are providing the means to clarify felid evolutionary history and taxonomic nomenclature reflecting this history. Recent graduate research by Shujin Luo on tigers (_Panthera tigris_) and Valerie Beason on clouded leopards (_Neofelis nebulosa_) exemplify the process and the associated scientific and political issues. Strong phylogeographic monophyly and large genetic distances were found between _N.n. nebulosa_ (mainland) and _N.n. diardi_ (Borneo) with mtDNA, nuclear DNA, and 51 microsatellite loci, which along with fixed subspecies-specific chromosomal differences, is equivalent to comparable measures among the other Panthera species and supports reclassification as a new species (_Neofelis diardi_). By contrast genetic assessment of 134 tigers revealed relatively low genetic variation, but significant population subdivision. A distinct partition of the Indochinese subspecies _P.t.corbetti_ into northern Indochinese and peninsular Malayan populations suggest recognition of six taxonomic units or subspecies: Amur tiger _P.t. altaica_, northern Indochinese tiger _P.t. corbetti_, South China tiger _P.t. amoyensis_, Peninsular Malayan tiger _P.t. jacksoni_, named for the tiger conservationist Peter Jackson, Sumatran tiger _P.t. sumatrae_ and Bengal tiger _P.t. tigris_. These results provide an explicit basis for clouded leopard and tiger species and subspecies recognition, and will lead to the improved management and conservation of these distinct geographic populations. |
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