Evolutionary history and conservation significance of the Javan leopard Panthera pardus melas
A. Wilting, R. Patel, H. Pfestorf, C. Kern, K. Sultan, A. Ario, F. Peñaloza, S. Kramer-Schadt, V. Radchuk, D. W. Foerster and J. Fickel
Version of Record online: 3 MAY 2016 | DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12348
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. We used mtDNA sequences and Pleistocene distribution modelling of leopards to gain further insights into the evolutionary history of leopards in Southeast Asia. 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. Our study therefore emphasizes the need for greater conservation efforts for this critically endangered leopard subspecies, as its extinction would greatly reduce the natural diversity of leopards.