TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gaubert, Philippe
A1  - Patel, Riddhi P.
A1  - Veron, Geraldine
A1  - Goodman, Steven M.
A1  - Willsch, Maraike
A1  - Vasconcelos, Raquel
A1  - Lourenco, Andre
A1  - Sigaud, Marie
A1  - Justy, Fabienne
A1  - Joshi, Bheem Dutt
A1  - Fickel, Jörns
A1  - Wilting, Andreas
T1  - Phylogeography of the Small Indian Civet and Origin of Introductions to Western Indian Ocean Islands
JF  - The journal of heredity : official journal of the American Genetic Association
N2  - The biogeographic dynamics affecting the Indian subcontinent, East and Southeast Asia during the Plio-Pleistocene has generated complex biodiversity patterns. We assessed the molecular biogeography of the small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) through mitogenome and cytochrome b + control region sequencing of 89 historical and modern samples to (1) establish a time-calibrated phylogeography across the species’ native range and (2) test introduction scenarios to western Indian Ocean islands. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses identified 3 geographic lineages (East Asia, sister-group to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent + northern Indochina) diverging 3.2–2.3 million years ago (Mya), with no clear signature of past demographic expansion. Within Southeast Asia, Balinese populations separated from the rest 2.6–1.3 Mya. Western Indian Ocean populations were assigned to the Indian subcontinent + northern Indochina lineage and had the lowest mitochondrial diversity. Approximate Bayesian computation did not distinguish between single versus multiple introduction scenarios. The early diversification of the small Indian civet was likely shaped by humid periods in the Late Pliocene–Early Pleistocene that created evergreen rainforest barriers, generating areas of intra-specific endemism in the Indian subcontinent, East, and Southeast Asia. Later, Pleistocene dispersals through drier conditions in South and Southeast Asia were likely, giving rise to the species’ current natural distribution. Our molecular data supported the delineation of only 4 subspecies in V. indica, including an endemic Balinese lineage. Our study also highlighted the influence of prefirst millennium AD introductions to western Indian Ocean islands, with Indian and/or Arab traders probably introducing the species for its civet oil.
KW  - Asia
KW  - biogeography
KW  - civet oil
KW  - mtDNA
KW  - Plio-Pleistocene
KW  - Viverridae
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esw085
SN  - 0022-1503
SN  - 1465-7333
VL  - 108
SP  - 270
EP  - 279
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Cary
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Patel, Riddhi P.
A1  - Wutke, Saskia
A1  - Lenz, Dorina
A1  - Mukherjee, Shomita
A1  - Ramakrishnan, Uma
A1  - Veron, Geraldine
A1  - Fickel, Jörns
A1  - Wilting, Andreas
A1  - Förster, Daniel W.
T1  - Genetic Structure and Phylogeography of the Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) Inferred from Mitochondrial Genomes
JF  - Journal of Heredity
N2  - The Leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis is a habitat generalist that is widely distributed across Southeast Asia. Based on morphological traits, this species has been subdivided into 12 subspecies. Thus far, there have been few molecular studies investigating intraspecific variation, and those had been limited in geographic scope. For this reason, we aimed to study the genetic structure and evolutionary history of this species across its very large distribution range in Asia. We employed both PCR-based (short mtDNA fragments, 94 samples) and high throughput sequencing based methods (whole mitochondrial genomes, 52 samples) on archival, noninvasively collected and fresh samples to investigate the distribution of intraspecific genetic variation. Our comprehensive sampling coupled with the improved resolution of a mitochondrial genome analyses provided strong support for a deep split between Mainland and Sundaic Leopard cats. Although we identified multiple haplogroups within the species’ distribution, we found no matrilineal evidence for the distinction of 12 subspecies. In the context of Leopard cat biogeography, we cautiously recommend a revision of the Prionailurus bengalensis subspecific taxonomy: namely, a reduction to 4 subspecies (2 mainland and 2 Sundaic forms).
KW  - habitat generalist
KW  - hybrid capture
KW  - Leopard cat
KW  - mitogenome
KW  - mtDNA
KW  - Southeast Asia
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esx017
SN  - 0022-1503
SN  - 1465-7333
VL  - 108
IS  - 4
SP  - 349
EP  - 360
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Cary
ER  -