ecology driving genetic variation a comparative phylogeography of jungle cat (felis chaus) and leopard cat (prionailurus bengalensis) in india生态驾驶遗传变异比较phylogeography丛林猫(felis洲)和豹猫(prionailurus bengalensis)在印度.pdfVIP

Ecology Driving Genetic Variation: A Comparative Phylogeography of Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) and Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) in India 1,3 1 1 1,2 1 Shomita Mukherjee *, Anand Krishnan , Krishnapriya Tamma , Chandrima Home , Navya R , Sonia 1 2 1 Joseph , Arundhati Das , Uma Ramakrishnan 1 National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, 2 Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, Royal Enclave, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, ´ 3 Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract Background: Comparative phylogeography links historical population processes to current/ecological processes through congruent/incongruent patterns of genetic variation among species/lineages. Despite high biodiversity, India lacks a phylogeographic paradigm due to limited comparative studies. We compared the phylogenetic patterns of Indian populations of jungle cat (Felis chaus) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). Given similarities in their distribution within India, evolutionary histories, body size and habits, congruent patterns of genetic variation were expected. Methodology/Principal Findings: We collected scats from various biogeographic zones in India and analyzed mtDNA from 55 jungle cats (460 bp NADH5, 141 bp cytochrome b) and 40 leopard cats (362 bp NADH5, 202 bp cytochrome b). Jungle cats revealed high genetic variation, relatively low population structure and demographic expansion around the mid- Pleistocene. In contrast, leopard cats revealed lower genetic