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<p>Snow leopards (<i>Panthera uncia</i> Schreber, 1775), the top predators in the mountains of southern and central Asia, are threatened by a range of human activities, including poaching and habitat destruction, which may reduce their genetic diversity. Owing to substantial knowledge gaps, the present study provides the first insights into the genetic characteristics and population structure of snow leopards inhabiting their southernmost range, spanning from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush to India’s Arunachal Pradesh. Our study was based on scat and tissue samples, utilizing partial mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene sequences and microsatellite genotyping at 14 loci. Analysis of Cyt b sequences revealed seven haplotypes, of which three are region-specific to the Hindu Kush-Indian Himalayan Region (<i>n</i> = 43), the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (<i>n</i> = 21), and Mongolia-Russia (<i>n</i> = 26), suggesting potential forensic implications. Sequence divergence between haplotypes ranged from 0.0078 to 0.0145. We found moderate genetic variation (<i>H</i><sub><i>O</i></sub> = 0.500 ± 0.028 SE, <i>uH</i><sub><i>E</i></sub> = 0.709 ± 0.026 SE) and a significantly positive inbreeding coefficient (<i>F</i><sub><i>IS</i></sub> = 0.25) based on microsatellite marker analyses. Gene flow and population genetic structure analyses reveal high genetic connectivity across the Indian Himalayan Region, except for the population in Himachal Pradesh, which is genetically divergent. The observed high genetic connectivity is likely attributable to long-ranging behavior, and homogeneous terrain characteristics across the Indian Himalayan Region. This study highlights the need for transboundary collaboration, standardized methodology, and the inclusion of environmental and ecological variation across the species’ range in defining genetic lineages for effective conservation strategies.</p>

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Genetic characteristics and connectivity of the southernmost snow leopard populations in the Indian Himalayan Region: Conservation implications

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月19日

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  • Sujeet Kumar Singh,
  • Bheem Dutt Joshi,
  • Reeta Sharma,
  • Rahul De,
  • Jouni Aspi,
  • Laura Kvist,
  • Aishwarya Maheshwari,
  • Tawqir Bashir,
  • Diwakar Sharma,
  • Mukesh Thakur,
  • Manoj Kumar,
  • Indranil Mondal,
  • Usha Lachungpa,
  • Salvador Lyngdoh,
  • Sambandam Sathyakumar,
  • Parag Nigam,
  • Bilal Habib,
  • Surendra Prakash Goyal

摘要

Snow leopards (Panthera uncia Schreber, 1775), the top predators in the mountains of southern and central Asia, are threatened by a range of human activities, including poaching and habitat destruction, which may reduce their genetic diversity. Owing to substantial knowledge gaps, the present study provides the first insights into the genetic characteristics and population structure of snow leopards inhabiting their southernmost range, spanning from Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush to India’s Arunachal Pradesh. Our study was based on scat and tissue samples, utilizing partial mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene sequences and microsatellite genotyping at 14 loci. Analysis of Cyt b sequences revealed seven haplotypes, of which three are region-specific to the Hindu Kush-Indian Himalayan Region (n = 43), the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (n = 21), and Mongolia-Russia (n = 26), suggesting potential forensic implications. Sequence divergence between haplotypes ranged from 0.0078 to 0.0145. We found moderate genetic variation (HO = 0.500 ± 0.028 SE, uHE = 0.709 ± 0.026 SE) and a significantly positive inbreeding coefficient (FIS = 0.25) based on microsatellite marker analyses. Gene flow and population genetic structure analyses reveal high genetic connectivity across the Indian Himalayan Region, except for the population in Himachal Pradesh, which is genetically divergent. The observed high genetic connectivity is likely attributable to long-ranging behavior, and homogeneous terrain characteristics across the Indian Himalayan Region. This study highlights the need for transboundary collaboration, standardized methodology, and the inclusion of environmental and ecological variation across the species’ range in defining genetic lineages for effective conservation strategies.