DNA Analysis Indicates That Asian Elephants Are Native to Borneo and Are Therefore a High Priority for Conservation
نویسندگان
چکیده
The origin of Borneo's elephants is controversial. Two competing hypotheses argue that they are either indigenous, tracing back to the Pleistocene, or were introduced, descending from elephants imported in the 16th-18th centuries. Taxonomically, they have either been classified as a unique subspecies or placed under the Indian or Sumatran subspecies. If shown to be a unique indigenous population, this would extend the natural species range of the Asian elephant by 1300 km, and therefore Borneo elephants would have much greater conservation importance than if they were a feral population. We compared DNA of Borneo elephants to that of elephants from across the range of the Asian elephant, using a fragment of mitochondrial DNA, including part of the hypervariable d-loop, and five autosomal microsatellite loci. We find that Borneo's elephants are genetically distinct, with molecular divergence indicative of a Pleistocene colonisation of Borneo and subsequent isolation. We reject the hypothesis that Borneo's elephants were introduced. The genetic divergence of Borneo elephants warrants their recognition as a separate evolutionary significant unit. Thus, interbreeding Borneo elephants with those from other populations would be contraindicated in ex situ conservation, and their genetic distinctiveness makes them one of the highest priority populations for Asian elephant conservation.
منابع مشابه
Current Status of Asian Elephants in Borneo
The origin of the Bornean elephant is still very controversial, despite the publication of a genetic study by Fernando et al. (2003) indicating the distinctiveness of the Bornean elephant and its derivation from Sundaic stock. The authors suggested independent evolution of the Bornean elephant for some 300,000 years since a postulated Pleistocene colonization and recognized it as native to Born...
متن کاملPhylogeny of gazelles in some islands of Iran based on mtDNA sequences: Species identification and implications for conservation
Different species of gazelles are among the most endangered mammals on the Asian steppes and occur in the central, southern and northwestern regions of Iran. The previous conservation efforts in this region have been incomplete due to confusion about the phylogenetic relationship among various populations. So that, different conservation programs such as ex-situ breeding and transfer of captive...
متن کاملSpatial assessment and analysis of endogenous development zones in region 3 of Isfahan metropolis
Aims and Background: Following the rapid population growth and the emergence of new urbanization developments in the world, different and sometimes contradictory solutions have been proposed for the development of cities. We see these solutions in development patterns such as surface dispersion, jump development, etc., which impose infrastructure and environmental costs on the city. This proces...
متن کاملارزیابی تنوع ژنتیکی مرغان بومی فارس بر مبنای توالی‌یابی بخشی از ناحیه D-loop ژنوم میتوکندری
Native chickens are considered as national genetic resources and their conservation is very important from biodiversity aspects. The study of mitochondrial genome in one breed and comparing it with others can be a useful index for genetic diversity in that population. This study carried out for determining the sequences of mitochondrial high variable 1 (HVR-I) of D-loop region in Fars native c...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
- PLoS Biology
دوره 1 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2003