Title

Genetic Ancestry of the Extinct Javan and Bali Tigers

Authors

Hao-Ran Xue, Peking University - China
Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, University of Oxford - United Kingdom
Carlos A. Driscoll, University of Oxford - United Kingdom
Yu Han, Peking University - China; Beijing Normal University - China
Gila Kahila Bar-Gal, Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Israel
Yan Zhuang, Peking University - China
Ji H. Mazak, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum - China
David W. Macdonald, University of Oxford - United Kingdom
Stephen J. O'Brien, Nova Southeastern University; St. Petersburg State University - RussiaFollow
Shu-Jin Luo, Peking University - China

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2015

Publication Title

Journal of Heredity

Keywords

mtDNA, Panthera tigris sondaica, Panthera tigris balica, Phylogeny, Population structure, Caspian tiger, Amur tiger, Phylogeography, Conservation, History, Leopard, Genome, Felidae

ISSN

0022-1503

Volume

106

Issue/No.

3

First Page

247

Last Page

257

Abstract

The Bali (Panthera tigris balica) and Javan (P. t. sondaica) tigers are recognized as distinct tiger subspecies that went extinct in the 1940s and 1980s, respectively. Yet their genetic ancestry and taxonomic status remain controversial. Following ancient DNA procedures, we generated concatenated 1750bp mtDNA sequences from 23 museum samples including 11 voucher specimens from Java and Bali and compared these to diagnostic mtDNA sequences from 122 specimens of living tiger subspecies and the extinct Caspian tiger. The results revealed a close genetic affinity of the 3 groups from the Sunda Islands (Bali, Javan, and Sumatran tigers P. t. sumatrae). Bali and Javan mtDNA haplotypes differ from Sumatran haplotypes by 1–2 nucleotides, and the 3 island populations define a monophyletic assemblage distinctive and equidistant from other mainland subspecies. Despite this close phylogenetic relationship, no mtDNA haplotype was shared between Sumatran and Javan/Bali tigers, indicating little or no matrilineal gene flow among the islands after they were colonized. The close phylogenetic relationship among Sunda tiger subspecies suggests either recent colonization across the islands, or else a once continuous tiger population that had subsequently isolated into different island subspecies. This supports the hypothesis that the Sumatran tiger is the closest living relative to the extinct Javan and Bali tigers.

Comments

©The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved.

Additional Comments

National Natural Science Foundatio nof China grant #s: 31271320, 31471179; Russian Ministry of Science Mega-Grant grant #: 11.G34.31.0068

NSUWorks Citation

Xue, Hao-Ran; Nobuyuki Yamaguchi; Carlos A. Driscoll; Yu Han; Gila Kahila Bar-Gal; Yan Zhuang; Ji H. Mazak; David W. Macdonald; Stephen J. O'Brien; and Shu-Jin Luo. 2015. "Genetic Ancestry of the Extinct Javan and Bali Tigers." Journal of Heredity 106, (3): 247-257. doi:10.1093/jhered/esv002.

ORCID ID

0000-0001-7353-8301

ResearcherID

N-1726-2015

DOI

10.1093/jhered/esv002