IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group Library

IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library

View printer friendly
Burger, J.; Rosendahl, W.; Loreille, O.; Hemmer, H.; Eriksson, T.; G”therstr”m, A.; Hiller, J.; Collins, M.J.; Wess, T.; Alt, K.W.
Molecular phylogeny of the extinct cave lion_ Panthera leo spelaea_
2004 Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (30): 841-849
To reconstruct the phylogenetic position of the extinct cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea), we sequenced 1 kb of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from two Pleistocene cave lion DNA samples (47 and 32 ky B.P.). Phylogenetic analysis shows that the ancient sequences form a clade that is most closely related to the extant lions from Africa and Asia; at the same time, cave lions appear to be highly distinct from their living relatives. Our data show that these cave lion sequences represent lineages that were isolated from lions in Africa and Asia since their dispersal over Europe about 600 ky B.P., as they are not found among our sample of extant populations. The cave lion lineages presented here went extinct without mitochondrial descendants on other continents. The high sequence divergence in the cytochrome b gene between cave and modern lions is notable.
	PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here