o:3274 The potential and shortcomings of mitochondrial DNA analysis for cheetah conservation management en Abstract: There are only about 7,100 adolescent and adult cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) remaining in the wild. With the majority occurring outside protected areas, their numbers are rapidly declining. Evidence-based conservation measures are essential for the survival of this species. Genetic data is routinely used to inform conservation strategies, e.g., by establishing conservation units (CU). A commonly used marker in conservation genetics is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Here, we investigated the cheetah's phylogeography using a large-scale mtDNA data set to refine subspecies distributions and better assign individuals to CUs. Our dataset mostly consisted of historic samples to cover the cheetah's whole range as the species has been extinct in most of its former distribution. While our genetic data largely agree with geography-based subspecies assignments, several geographic regions show conflicting mtDNA signals. Our analyses support previous findings that evolutionary forces such as incomplete lineage sorting or mitochondrial capture likely confound the mitochondrial phylogeography of this species, especially in East and, to some extent, in Northeast Africa. We caution that subspecies assignments solely based on mtDNA should be treated carefully and argue for an additional standardized nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker set for subspecies identification and monitoring. However, the detection of the A. j. soemmeringii specific haplogroup by a newly designed Amplification-Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) can already provide support for conservation measures. Acinonyx-Jubatus; Asiatic Cheetah; Avoidance; Habitats; Iran 1552099 10.1007/s10592-022-01483-1 2024-07-23T07:55:33.950Z 44 yes 46 René Meißner University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna / Goethe University 0000-0003-2829-1607 Sven Winter University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna person 0000-0002-1890-0977 Uta Westerhüs Opel-Zoo person Alexander Sliwa Kölner Zoo AG person 0000-0002-9111-3371 Carola Greve LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics person 0000-0003-4993-1378 Lena Godsall Bottriell Rex Foundation person Paul Bottriell Rex Foundation person Carlos Rodríguez Fernandes University of Lisbon person 0000-0002-1386-8103 Paul Vercammen Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife person Luke T. B. Hunter Wildlife Conservation Society / University of KwaZulu-Natal person Alexei V. Abramov Russian Academy of Sciences person Leili Khalatbari Universidade do Porto / CIBIO / Mohitban Society / University of Veterinary Sciences Brno person 0000-0003-2182-3084 Petr Horin University of Veterinary Sciences Brno person Pamela A. Burger University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna person 0000-0002-6941-0257 Stefan Prost University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna / LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics person 0000-0002-6229-3596 application/pdf 3004686 https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:3274 no yes 16 70 1552253 Conservation Genetics 12 24 1 125 136 Springer 2022