Phylogeography of the Malagasy ring-tailed mongoose, Galidia elegans, from mtDNA sequence analysis

Abstract

The ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans) represents one of the most widely distributed mongooses in Madagascar; however, we know little about the ecology of this seemingly ubiquitous species. Currently, G. elegans is divided into three recognized subspecies—G. e. elegans, G. e. dambrensis, and G. e. occidentalis—based on differences in pelage coloration between the distinct geographic locations. We used intraspecific DNA variation to describe the phylogenetic relationships among the described subspecies. Approximately 550 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA control region were analyzed from 19 G. elegans specimens representing all three subspecies sampled from across the species' geographic range. Sequence data from outgroup taxa were included for comparison. Examination of the recovered sequences revealed a strongly supported distinct genetic signature in the western region of the island, but remained inconclusive with respect to supporting the designation of the northern and eastern ‘subspecies’ for treatment as divergent intraspecific units for management.

• Madagascar
• Galidia elegans
• mongoose
• phylogeography
• mtDNA control region

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the local government, wildlife agencies, and wildlife officials for granting approval to conduct research in Madagascar and for access to collection localities. They would also like to express their gratitude to the various individuals for their contribution and/or for having supplied samples. Many thanks to the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, and the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History for supporting the laboratory work. Thanks also extended to the anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier versions of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.