Research overview: phylogeography and subspecies structure of lions

Genetic studies have reshaped lion taxonomy by revealing a primary division between a northern group, encompassing the Asiatic, West African, and Central African lions, and a southern and eastern African group. This overview surveys the mitochondrial and nuclear evidence for this split, its concordance with a two-subspecies classification, and the implications for prioritizing the threatened northern populations. It discusses how Pleistocene refugia and dispersal shaped the modern pattern, the distinctiveness of the West African lion, and why understanding lion population structure is essential for managing fragmented and declining populations across the continent and the relict Indian population.