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| Azizan, A.; Paradis, E. | |
| Patterns and drivers of genetic diversity among Felidae species | |
| 2021 Biodiversity and Conservation (30): 519-546 | |
Since the late Pleistocene, species in the order Carnivora have experienced a drastic reduction in their populations and distributions. However, the global genetic diversity patterns among terrestrial carnivores have not been investigated. Using felid species as model, we characterized the genetic variation within their populations among continents, between tropical and non-tropical regions, and in relation to human activities. We then evaluated how species traits influence the observed patterns of interspecific genetic diversity. Through data collected from 135 population genetic studies conducted on 28 wild felid species (70% of the described species), data analyses using GLMM modelling showed that the populations in Africa and South America have significantly higher heterozygosity and allelic richness than those in other continents. The Asiatic lions have the least genetic diversity compared to other felids in the world. Threatened species have significantly lower genetic diversity compared to low-risk species as predicted. However, genetic diversity was not related to species body mass or geographic range. We found generation length to be an important variable explaining genetic diversity variation, in which species with short generation length have reduced genetic diversity. Furthermore, the combination of generation length, habitat and home range size captures the variation in heterozygosity significantly better. Species dependent on closed-habitat and with large home range size have reduced heterozygosity compared to their counterparts. Our results allow to identify priority felid species vulnerable to loss of genetic diversity for further conservation studies, and provide an insight into the possible genetic consequences of the late Pleistocene extinctions. |
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