Title

The Cheetah is Depauperate in Genetic Variation

Authors

Stephen J. O'Brien, National Cancer Institute at FrederickFollow
David E. Wildt, National Cancer Institute at Frederick
David Goldman, National Institute of Mental Health
Carl R. Merril, National Institute of Mental Health
Mitchell Bush, Smithsonian Institution

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-29-1983

Publication Title

Science

ISSN

0036-8075

Volume

221

Issue/No.

4609

First Page

459

Last Page

462

Abstract

A sample of 55 South African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) from two geographically isolated populations in South Africa were found to be genetically monomorphic at each of 47 allozyme (allelic isozyme) loci. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of 155 abundant soluble proteins from cheetah fibroblasts also revealed a low frequency of polymorphism (average heterozygosity, 0.013). Both estimates are dramatically lower than levels of variation reported in other cats and mammals in general. The extreme monomorphism may be a consequence of a demographic contraction of the cheetah (a population bottleneck) in association with a reduced rate of increase in the recent natural history of this endangered species.

Comments

©1983 American Association for the Advancement of Science

NSUWorks Citation

O'Brien, Stephen J.; David E. Wildt; David Goldman; Carl R. Merril; and Mitchell Bush. 1983. "The Cheetah is Depauperate in Genetic Variation." Science 221, (4609): 459-462. doi:10.1126/science.221.4609.459.

ORCID ID

0000-0001-7353-8301

ResearcherID

N-1726-2015

DOI

10.1126/science.221.4609.459