狮子(Pantheraleo)在塑造和维护非洲脆弱的生态系统方面发挥着至关重要的生态作用。在考虑重新引入尝试时,保护工作应侧重于野生种群内的遗传变异性。我们研究了来自赞比亚和津巴布韦两个保护区的两组狮子,以确定它们的遗传组成,网站通常不知道的信息。在这项研究中,我们分析了17个标本的cytb和7个微卫星标记,以确定以前通过观察研究获得的家族关系和遗传多样性。然后,我们使用所有可用的完整有丝分裂基因组产生了标准化的单倍群系统发育,以及计算修正的分子钟.现代狮子谱系分化~151kya,分为两个亚种,都包含三个不同的单倍群。我们确认Pantheraleopersica不是亚种,而是北部P.l.leo的单倍群,离开非洲至少约31公里。所有狮子的祖先都存在~1.2Mya,可能在南非,后来离开非洲,分裂成两个洞穴狮子血统〜175kya。物种人口统计与主要的气候事件有关。鉴于气候变化的威胁,我们现在有了狮子进化的详细系统发育,并了解了它们的保护状况。
Lions (Panthera leo) play a crucial ecological role in shaping and maintaining fragile ecosystems within Africa. Conservation efforts should focus on genetic variability within wild populations when considering reintroduction attempts. We studied two groups of lions from two conservation sites located in Zambia and Zimbabwe to determine their genetic make-up, information that is usually unknown to the sites. In this study, we analysed 17 specimens for cytb and seven microsatellite markers to ascertain family relationships and genetic diversity previously obtained by observational studies. We then produced a standardised haplogroup phylogeny using all available entire mitogenomes, as well as calculating a revised molecular clock. The modern lion lineage diverged ~151 kya and was divided into two subspecies, both containing three distinct haplogroups. We confirm that Panthera leo persica is not a subspecies, but rather a haplogroup of the northern P.l. leo that exited Africa at least ~31 kya. The progenitor to all lions existed ~1.2 Mya, possibly in SE Africa, and later exited Africa and split into the two cave lion lineages ~175 kya. Species demography is correlated to major climactic events. We now have a detailed phylogeny of lion evolution and an idea of their conservation status given the threat of climate change.