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  - Wilting, A.
A1  - Patel, R.
A1  - Pfestorf, Hans
A1  - Kern, C.
A1  - Sultan, K.
A1  - Ario, A.
A1  - Penaloza, F.
A1  - Kramer-Schadt, S.
A1  - Radchuk, Viktoriia
A1  - Foerster, D. W.
A1  - Fickel, Jörns
T1  - Evolutionary history and conservation significance of the Javan leopard Panthera pardus melas
JF  - Journal of zoology : proceedings of the Zoological Society of London
N2  - The leopard Panthera pardus is widely distributed across Africa and Asia; however, there is a gap in its natural distribution in Southeast Asia, where it occurs on the mainland and on Java but not on the interjacent island of Sumatra. Several scenarios have been proposed to explain this distribution gap. Here, we complemented an existing dataset of 68 leopard mtDNA sequences from Africa and Asia with mtDNA sequences (NADH5+ ctrl, 724bp) from 19 Javan leopards, and hindcasted leopard distribution to the Pleistocene to gain further insights into the evolutionary history of the Javan leopard. Our data confirmed that Javan leopards are evolutionarily distinct from other Asian leopards, and that they have been present on Java since the Middle Pleistocene. Species distribution projections suggest that Java was likely colonized via a Malaya-Java land bridge that by-passed Sumatra, as suitable conditions for leopards during Pleistocene glacial periods were restricted to northern and western Sumatra. As fossil evidence supports the presence of leopards on Sumatra at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene, our projections are consistent with a scenario involving the extinction of leopards on Sumatra as a consequence of the Toba super volcanic eruption (similar to 74kya). The impact of this eruption was minor on Java, suggesting that leopards managed to survive here. Currently, only a few hundred leopards still live in the wild and only about 50 are managed in captivity. Therefore, this unique and distinctive subspecies requires urgent, concerted conservation efforts, integrating insitu and ex situ conservation management activities in a One Plan Approach to species conservation management.
KW  - biogeography
KW  - evolutionary history
KW  - Felidae
KW  - Southeast Asia
KW  - Toba eruption
KW  - One Plan Approach
KW  - Pleistocene
KW  - Javan leopard
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12348
SN  - 0952-8369
SN  - 1469-7998
VL  - 299
SP  - 239
EP  - 250
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -