Phylogeography and conservation genetics of jaguars (Panthera onca)

This study analyzed mitochondrial and microsatellite variation across the jaguar's range from Mexico to Argentina and found relatively shallow genetic structure with no support for the many traditional subspecies. The authors detected some regional differentiation, partly associated with barriers like the Amazon, but concluded that the jaguar is best treated as a single, weakly structured species rather than divided into numerous subspecies. They estimated recent population history and identified broad genetic continuity across the range. The work reshaped jaguar taxonomy by deflating an inflated subspecies list and informed conservation by emphasizing connectivity across the species' distribution. It is a key reference for understanding jaguar evolutionary history and exemplifies how molecular phylogeography corrected an over-split classification of a wide-ranging Neotropical big cat.