Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data
Abstract The contemporary genetic diversity of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has been the focus of several studies, which have revealed very low levels of variation. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain this pattern of low diversity, and require additional scrutiny. Here, we used publ...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedade Brasileira de Genética
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Genetics and Molecular Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-47572025000200201&lng=en&tlng=en |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850266610056560640 |
|---|---|
| author | Ezequiel Chimbioputo Fabiano Sandro Luis Bonatto Anne Schmidt-Küntzel Stephen J. O’Brien Laurie Marker Eduardo Eizirik |
| author_facet | Ezequiel Chimbioputo Fabiano Sandro Luis Bonatto Anne Schmidt-Küntzel Stephen J. O’Brien Laurie Marker Eduardo Eizirik |
| author_sort | Ezequiel Chimbioputo Fabiano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The contemporary genetic diversity of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has been the focus of several studies, which have revealed very low levels of variation. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain this pattern of low diversity, and require additional scrutiny. Here, we used published microsatellite data and coalescence-based analytical methods to explore the historical demography of the largest free-ranging cheetah population, aiming to assess whether present-day diversity may have been impacted by a historical demographic decline. Our results support the hypothesis of a historical (and most likely gradual) demographic decline over the past ~10,000 years, leading to a present-day N e ranging from 700 to 1,600 individuals. This decline was likely induced by climate-driven vegetational shifts affecting habitat suitability and possibly also interspecies interactions with prey and competitors. These results help clarify the demographic history of cheetahs in southern Africa and its impact on the current genetic diversity of this population. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-581a94bf2225451bad0e85eb21a710d4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1678-4685 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Sociedade Brasileira de Genética |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genetics and Molecular Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-581a94bf2225451bad0e85eb21a710d42025-08-20T01:54:07ZengSociedade Brasileira de GenéticaGenetics and Molecular Biology1678-46852025-05-0148210.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2024-0253Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic dataEzequiel Chimbioputo Fabianohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4126-5270Sandro Luis Bonattohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0064-467XAnne Schmidt-Küntzelhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5108-2606Stephen J. O’Brienhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7353-8301Laurie Markerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1636-2191Eduardo Eizirikhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9658-0999Abstract The contemporary genetic diversity of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has been the focus of several studies, which have revealed very low levels of variation. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain this pattern of low diversity, and require additional scrutiny. Here, we used published microsatellite data and coalescence-based analytical methods to explore the historical demography of the largest free-ranging cheetah population, aiming to assess whether present-day diversity may have been impacted by a historical demographic decline. Our results support the hypothesis of a historical (and most likely gradual) demographic decline over the past ~10,000 years, leading to a present-day N e ranging from 700 to 1,600 individuals. This decline was likely induced by climate-driven vegetational shifts affecting habitat suitability and possibly also interspecies interactions with prey and competitors. These results help clarify the demographic history of cheetahs in southern Africa and its impact on the current genetic diversity of this population.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-47572025000200201&lng=en&tlng=enCoalescent modellingFelidaepopulation declineNamibiamicrosatellites |
| spellingShingle | Ezequiel Chimbioputo Fabiano Sandro Luis Bonatto Anne Schmidt-Küntzel Stephen J. O’Brien Laurie Marker Eduardo Eizirik Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data Genetics and Molecular Biology Coalescent modelling Felidae population decline Namibia microsatellites |
| title | Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data |
| title_full | Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data |
| title_fullStr | Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data |
| title_short | Inferring the historical demography of southern African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) using Bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data |
| title_sort | inferring the historical demography of southern african cheetahs acinonyx jubatus using bayesian analyses of molecular genetic data |
| topic | Coalescent modelling Felidae population decline Namibia microsatellites |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-47572025000200201&lng=en&tlng=en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ezequielchimbioputofabiano inferringthehistoricaldemographyofsouthernafricancheetahsacinonyxjubatususingbayesiananalysesofmoleculargeneticdata AT sandroluisbonatto inferringthehistoricaldemographyofsouthernafricancheetahsacinonyxjubatususingbayesiananalysesofmoleculargeneticdata AT anneschmidtkuntzel inferringthehistoricaldemographyofsouthernafricancheetahsacinonyxjubatususingbayesiananalysesofmoleculargeneticdata AT stephenjobrien inferringthehistoricaldemographyofsouthernafricancheetahsacinonyxjubatususingbayesiananalysesofmoleculargeneticdata AT lauriemarker inferringthehistoricaldemographyofsouthernafricancheetahsacinonyxjubatususingbayesiananalysesofmoleculargeneticdata AT eduardoeizirik inferringthehistoricaldemographyofsouthernafricancheetahsacinonyxjubatususingbayesiananalysesofmoleculargeneticdata |