DARWINS FOX - A DISTINCT ENDANGERED SPECIES IN A VANISHING HABITAT

The temperate rain forest of Chiloe Island, Chile, is inhabited by an endemic fox (Dusicyon fulvipes) first described by Charles Darwin and now designated Darwin's fox. Despite morphological differences, Darwin 's fox has been considered only an insular subspecies of the mainland chilla fox (D. griseus). This follows the assumption that the island p opulation, with an estimated population of less than 500, has been sep arated from the mainland chilla fox for only about 15,000 years and ma y have received occasional immigrants from the mainland. Consequently, this island population has not been protected as endangered or bred i n captivity. Recently, a population of Darwin's fox was discovered on the Chilena mainland 600 km north of Chiloe Island. This population ex ists in sympatry with chilla and possibly culpeo (D. culpaeus) foxes, which suggests that Darwin's fox may be reproductivity isolated. To cl arify the phylogenetic position of Darwin's fox, we analyzed 344 bp of mitochondrial DNA control-region sequence of the three species of Chi lean foxes. Darwin's foxes from the island and mainland populations co mpose a monophyletic group distinct from the two other Chilean fox spe cies. This indicates that Darwin's fox was probably an early inhabitan t of central Chile, and that its present distribution on the mainland may be a relict of a once much wider distribution. Our results highlig ht the ability of molecular genetic techniques to uncover historical r elationships masked by recent events, such as local extinctions. The ' 'rediscovery'' of Darwin's fox as a distinct species implies that grea ter significance should be given to the protection of this species and its unique habitat and to documenting the extent of its mainland dist ribution.