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Support for species recognition and population division
between Borneo and Sumatra
Andreas Wilting, Valerie A Buckley-Beason, Heike Feldhaar, Jürgen Gadau, Stephen J. O'Brien and K. Eduard Linsenmair
Published: 29 May 2007, Frontiers in Zoology 2007, 4:15
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Abstract:
The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is one of the least known cat species and
depletion of their forested habitats puts it under heavy pressure. Recently reclassification
of Bornean clouded leopards (N. nebulosa diardi) to species level (N.diardi)
was suggested based on molecular and morphological evidence. Since the genetic results were
based solely on three Bornean samples we re-evaluated this partition using additional samples
of Bornean clouded leopards (N = 7) and we were also able to include specimens from Sumatra
(N = 3), which were lacking in previous analysis.
We found strong support for the distinction between N. nebulosa and N. diardi
based on three fragments of mtDNA (900 bp) and 18 microsatellites. Forty-one fixed
mitochondrial nucleotide differences and non-overlapping allele sizes in 8 of 18 microsatellite
loci distinguished N. nebulosa and N. diardi. This is equivalent to the genetic
divergence among recognized species in the genus Panthera. Sumatran clouded leopards
clustered with specimens from Borneo, suggesting that Sumatran individuals also belong to
N. diardi. Additionally, a significant population subdivision was apparent among
N. diardi from Sumatra and Borneo based on mtDNA and microsatellite data.
Referring to their origin on two Sunda Islands we propose to give N. diardi the common
name "Sundaland clouded leopard". The reduced gene flow between Borneo and Sumatra
might suggest the recognition of two subspecies of N. diardi. Based on this
reclassification of clouded leopards not only species, but also the populations on Borneo and
Sumatra should be managed separately and a higher priority should be placed to protect the
different populations from extinction.
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