Mapping black panthers: Macroecological modeling of melanism in leopards (Panthera pardus).

ABSTRACT: The geographic distribution and habitat association of most mammalian polymorphic phenotypes are still poorly known, hampering assessments of their adaptive significance. Even in the case of the black panther, an iconic melanistic variant of the leopard (Panthera pardus), no map exists describing its distribution. We constructed a large database of verified records sampled across the species' range, and used it to map the geographic occurrence of melanism. We then estimated the potential distribution of melanistic and non-melanistic leopards using niche-modeling algorithms. The overall frequency of melanism was ca. 11%, with a significantly non-random spatial distribution. Distinct habitat types presented significantly different frequencies of melanism, which increased in Asian moist fores

SUBMITTER: da Silva LG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5381760 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature