Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA control region structure and variation were determined in the five species of the genus Panthera. Comparative analyses revealed two hypervariable segments, a central conserved region, and the occurrence of size and sequence heteroplasmy. As observed in the domestic cat, but not commonly seen in other animals, two repetitive sequence arrays (RS-2 with an 80-bp motif and RS-3 with a 6–10-bp motif) were identified. The 3′ ends of RS-2 and RS-3 were highly conserved among species, suggesting that these motifs have different functional constraints. Control region sequences provided improved phylogenetic resolution grouping the sister taxa lion ( Panthera leo) and leopard ( Panthera pardus), with the jaguar ( Panthera onca).
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