Open AccessMitochondrial DNA haplogrouping of the brown bear, U rsus arctos ( C arnivora: U rsidae) in A sia, based on a newly developed APLP analysis
Author(s) -
Hirata Daisuke,
Abramov Alexei V.,
Baryshnikov Gennady F.,
Masuda Ryuichi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
biological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.906
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1095-8312
pISSN - 0024-4066
DOI - 10.1111/bij.12219
Subject(s) - ursus , haplogroup , mitochondrial dna , biology , ancient dna , haplotype , evolutionary biology , zoology , genetics , genotype , gene , demography , population , sociology
Sequence analyses of the complete brown bear, U rsus arctos , mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA ) genome have detected scattered single nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs ) that define distinct mtDNA haplogroups in phylogeographical studies. The degraded DNA in historical samples, such as stuffed or excavated specimens, however, is often not suitable for sequence analyses. To address this problem, we developed an amplified product length polymorphism ( APLP ) analysis for mtDNA ‐haplogrouping U . arctos specimens by detecting haplogroup‐specific SNPs . We verified the validity and utility of this method by analysing up to 170‐year‐old skin samples from U . arctos specimens collected widely across continental E urasia. We detected some of the same haplogroups as those occurring in eastern H okkaido ( J apan) and eastern A laska in continental E urasia (the A ltai and the C aucasus). Our results show that U . arctos in eastern H okkaido and eastern A laska descended from a common ancestor in continental E urasia, and suggest that U . arctos occupied several refugia in southern A sia during the L ast G lacial M aximum. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2014, 111 , 627–635.