ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - B - THE LION (Panthera leo)

[GrizzlyClaws]

(12-24-2015, 04:12 AM)Dr Panthera Wrote:

(12-05-2015, 08:42 AM)tigerluver Wrote: Driscoll et al. (2015) just published a new study on modern lion genetics, finding "four clusters: 1) West/Central Africa, 2)East Africa, 3) Southern Africa and 4) India. This is not in line with the current taxonomy, as defined by the IUCN, which only recognizes an African and an Asiatic subspecies". See attached.

Excellent study, while the genetic distance is minimal among all four clusters, securing subspecies status for the Indian lions and the West/Central African lions will help with according them additional conservation measures by classifying them endangered versus vulnerable and so on

The Indian lions also evolved from the West African lions, there is almost no doubt about it.

I think we are pretty close to the origin of the mythical European lions, and they were likely derived from another group of the West African lions that spread to Europe in the late Pleistocene. Reply