Phylogeography ofKorean raccoon dogs: implications of peripheral isolation of a forest mammal inEastAsia

Abstract

The Korean Peninsula is a problematic place for tracing the evolutionary history of many East Asian species because of its location on the eastern edge of the Eurasian continent. This peninsula probably experienced peripheral isolation as one of several possible Pleistocene refugia. Historical population fluctuations and peripatric speciation of vertebrates in the Korean Peninsula are poorly understood. As an endemic species in East Asia, the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides is an appropriate model for describing the evolutionary history of mammal species in the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, we used mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences of raccoon dogs from Korea,

Re-examination of the fossil raccoon dog (<i>Nyctereutes procyonoides</i>) from the Penghu channel, Taiwan, and an age estimation of the Penghu fauna

“…Extant raccoon dogs are separated into two kinds of karyotypes: continental and Japanese subspecies (Kauhala and Saeki, 2004;Saeki, 2009). Genetic studies also support the fact that continental and Japanese subspecies are separated (Kurose et al, 2012;Kim, 2011;Kim et al, 2013). The differences in shape that we found (i.e.…”

“…However, with the low sea levels that occurred during the ice age, the Penghu strait dried up, and the geographic range of the raccoon dog is likely to have moved southward. For example, genetic studies suggest that the Korean subspecies lived in a refugium during the last glacial period (Kim et al, 2013). In addition, the continental shelf around the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, south of the Korean peninsula, would have been exposed when the Penghu channel dried up (Figure 2).…”

“…Recent population genetic studies reveal that the Korean population was separated from other populations, as a refugium during last glacial period, with an estimated population expansion occurring around 20000 years ago (ranging from 0-40000 BP) (Kim et al, 2013). Another study based on mitochondrial genetics estimated subclades within the continental population (using the Russian raccoon dog N. p. ussuriensis, which was introduced to Europe), suggesting a division around 457800 years ago (ranging from 223300 to 773900 BP) (Pitra et al, 2010).…”

“…Kim et al (2013) also reported the partial separation of the Korean population from other continental populations, and a rapid population expansion in Korea after the last glacial period. It was concluded that there were more than two refugia in the continent, including the Korean population and other populations during the last glacial period.…”

“…Recent phylogenetic studies reported that extant continental and Japanese subspecies are clearly separated into different clades (Kim, 2011;Kurose et al, 2012;Kim et al, 2013). Kim et al (2013) also reported the partial separation of the Korean population from other continental populations, and a rapid population expansion in Korea after the last glacial period.…”