Molecular and craniological analysis of leopard, Panthera pardus (Carnivora: Felidae) in Iran: Support for a monophyletic clade in Western Asia

Abstract

As the largest extant cat species in west Asia, the leopard (Panthera pardus) shows high morphological variation, which has led to the description of seven different subspecies in the region. Different investigations have tried to clarify its phylogenetic structure; however, sample size and spatial distribution insufficiently represent the Iranian population, the largest remaining bulk of the Persian leopard (P. p. saxicolor) in the Middle East that probably functioned as a source for the subspecies' range. We examined sequence variation in the mitochondrial NADH-5 gene for 25 leopards from different parts of Iran. Also, we examined 49 adult male skulls to understand the morphological variation of the Iranian leopard population. Our craniometrical results revealed that while no differentiation is seen based on size or shape characteristics from different parts of Iran, larger individuals normally belong to the northern range. Time-calibrated Bayesian phylogenetic analysis suggested that the Iranian female lineage is a monophyletic group that diverged from a group of Asian leopards in the second half of the Pleistocene. Three closely related haplotypes were identified for the entire country: one commonly found haplotype throughout Iran, south Caucasus and Turkmenistan and two localized haplotypes were sequenced from southern Zagros and eastern Alborz. Accordingly, the Persian leopard population in Iran as well as in neighbouring countries can be protected as a large management unit through large-scale conservation planning. Moreover, the available captive stock of the Persian leopard represents an invaluable source for reintroduction for countries interested in restoring their locally extinct population.