jaguars - subspecies
The last taxonomic delineation of the jaguar subspecies was performed by Pocock in 1939. Based on geographic origins and skull morphology,
he recognized eight subspecies. However, he did not have access to sufficient specimens to critically evaluate all subspecies, and he expressed
doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized.
Recent studies have also failed to find evidence for well defined subspecies, and are no longer recognized. Larson (1997) studied the morphological
variation in the jaguar and showed that there is clinal north-south variation, but also that the differentiation within the supposed subspecies
is larger than that between them and thus does not warrant subspecies subdivision. A genetic study by Eizirik and coworkers in 2001 confirmed
the absence of a clear geographical subspecies structure, although they found that major geographical barriers such as the Amazon River limited
the exchange of genes between the different populations.[19] A subsequent, more detailed, study confirmed the predicted population structure within
the Colombian jaguars.
Pocock's subspecies divisions are still regularly listed in general descriptions of the cat. Seymore grouped these in three subspecies.
- Panthera onca onca: Venezuela, south and east to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, including
- Panthera onca peruviana (Peruvian Jaguar): Coastal Peru
- Panthera onca hernandesii (Mexican Jaguar): Western Mexico - including
- Panthera onca centralis (Central American Jaguar): El Salvador to Colombia
- Panthera onca arizonensis (Arizonan Jaguar): Eastern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico
- Panthera onca veraecrucis: Central Texas to Southeastern Mexico
- Panthera onca goldmani (Goldman's Jaguar): Yucatan Peninsula to Belize and Guatemala
- Panthera onca palustris or Panthera onca paraguensis: Paraguay and northeastern Argentina (The description of the first is based on a fossil, the latter on living individuals)
The canonical Mammal Species of the World continues to recognize nine subspecies, the eight subspecies above and additionally
Panthera onca paraguensis.
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