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Phylogenetics of Panthera , including Panthera atrox , based on craniodental characters

2014; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 26; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/08912963.2013.861462

1029-2381

Leigha M. King, Steven C. Wallace,

Genetic diversity and population structure

AbstractThe phylogenetic position of Panthera atrox within Felidae is still controversial despite many morphological and molecular studies addressing its relationships. This is in part due to the lack of consensus on a tree for Panthera. These inconsistencies suggest the need for further analysis and perhaps even different methodology to better understand pantherine evolution. Morphologic characters from the skull and dentary were analysed within Panthera to elucidate pantherine phylogeny. Extant taxa included Panthera leo (African lion), Panthera tigris (tiger), Panthera onca (jaguar), Panthera pardus (leopard), Uncia uncia (snow leopard) and Neofelis nebulosa (clouded leopard). Four outgroups were used: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena), Metailurus spp., Proailurus lemanensis and Pseudaelurus validus. Our study found a clade containing Panthera leo, Panthera tigris and Panthera atrox, suggesting that Panthera atrox is more closely related to the African lion and the tiger than the jaguar, in contrast to what has been recently proposed. Moreover, gross morphological similarities between Panthera atrox and Panthera onca are more likely the result of convergent hunting styles and/or prey selection, rather than phylogenetic affinity.Keywords:: PantheraPanthera atroxphylogenycranialmammalia AcknowledgementsWe thank B.W. Schubert and J.I. Mead for their support and ideas, and E. Lynch for his help in photographing specimens at both ETSU and the NMNH. Great appreciation goes to the collections managers at the AMNH, NMNH, UF and LACM for providing us with access to specimens and for answering any and all questions. Special thanks also go X. Wang for assistance in approaching the phylogeny of Panthera, suggestions of potential outgroups and images of M. major and M. minor, without which we would not have been able to include those species in our analysis. Thanks to Steven Jasinski and Anne Weil for edits and assistance with running analyses and interpretations. Finally, thanks to G. Anderson, A. Godbole, A. Govett and NSF/GK12 for providing the first author with the funding to travel to the various collections and conferences necessary for this study.Additional informationFundingThis work was partially funded by the the National Science Foundation [grant number EAR-0958985], Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology and ETSU Office of Research and Sponsored Programmes.