r Storz and Beaumont method. Details of the models are given in Table S6.
(0.64 MB TIF)
(A) Population size change for the Indo-Chinese tigers (P. t. corbetti) (30 microsatellites, n = 27) with red and green curves corresponding to the posterior distributions under models of exponential and linear population size change, respectively. The prior distribution is represented by flat dotted line. (B) The posterior distributions for ancestral (red curve) and present (green) population size are represented here (30 microsatellites, n = 27). The priors are represented by the dotted line (present population) and dashed line (ancestral population). (C) The posterior distribution for the time since the population decline started for Indo-Chinese tigers (black curve) is represented here. The priors are shown by the dashed lines. The distribution has a median value at around 158 years. (D) Joint posterior distribution of ancestral and current population size based on Indian tiger data. The 90%, 50%, and 10% highest probability density (HPD) limits are plotted for the joint distribution of ancestral and current population size on a logarithmic scale. The diagonal line corresponds to stable population size.
(1.29 MB TIF)
(A) Posterior distributions for rate of population size changes from independent MCMC runs for Indo-Chinese tigers under linear change model (Beaumont method). Details of the models are given in Table S4. (B) Posterior distributions for rate of population size changes from independent MCMC runs for Indo-Chinese tigers under exponential change model (Beaumont method). Details of the models are given in Table S5.
(0.66 MB TIF)
(A) Posterior distributions for current population size from independent MCMC runs for Indo-Chinese tigers under Storz and Beaumont method. Details of the models are given in Table S6. (B) Posterior distributions for ancestral population size from independent MCMC runs for Indo-Chinese tigers under Storz and Beaumont method. Details of the models are given in Table S6. (C) Posterior distributions for time since population decline from independent MCMC runs for Indo-Chinese tigers under Storz and Beaumont method. Details of the models are given in Table S6.
(0.64 MB TIF)
Information on samples used in this study.
(0.11 MB DOC)
Species-specific mitochondrial primers designed and used in this study.
(0.05 MB DOC)
Information of 10 microsatellite loci used in this study.
(0.05 MB DOC)
Linear models (Beaumont method).
(0.04 MB DOC)
Exponential models (Beaumont method).
(0.04 MB DOC)
Exponential models (Storz and Beaumont method).
(0.05 MB DOC)
We thank the forest departments from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Chattishgarh, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, and Orissa for permissions and assistance with sample collection. We thank N. Samba Kumar, A. J. T. Johnsingh, J. Krishnaswamy, N. Mukherjee, A. Kumar, and many field researchers for assistance in procuring samples. We thank T. Shivanand, S. Mukherjee, D. Chakraborty, and E. A. Hadly for extensive discussions and comments on the manuscript. V.V. Robin, V. Kolipakam, and D. Jathanna provided comments on the earlier versions of this manuscript. S. Koushika provided lab space and computing facility. S. Joseph provided technical assistance. We thank the editor Dmitri Petrov and two anonymous referees for their constructive comments and helpful suggestions, which greatly improved this manuscript.
Conceived and designed the experiments: SM UR. Performed the experiments: SM. Analyzed the data: SM UR. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: SM UR. Wrote the paper: SM KUK UR. Provided laboratory facilities and funding: UR. Contributed samples: KUK.
- 1. Terborgh JW, Lopez L, Nunez P, Rao M, Shahabuddin G, et al. (2001) Ecological meltdown in predator-free forest fragments. Science 294: 1923–1926.
- 2. Steneck RS (2005) Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity. Ray R, Redford K, Steneck R, Berger J, editors. Island press. pp. 9–32.
- 3. Flagstad Ø, Walker CW, Vilà C, Sundqvist AK, Fernholm B, et al.