Species of mammal
"Sand gazelle" redirects here. For
Gazella leptoceros , see
rhim gazelle .
The Arabian sand gazelle (Gazella marica ) or reem (Arabic : ريم )[ 2] is a species of gazelle native to the West Asia , specifically the Arabian and Syrian Deserts .
Distribution and conservation
Today it survives in the wild in small, isolated populations in Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates , Oman , and southeastern Turkey . Small numbers may also be present in Kuwait , Iraq , Jordan , and Syria . The total population of wild sand gazelles is thought to be less than 3,000. Significantly more are held in captivity , reserves , or breeding programs , perhaps more than 100,000.[ 1]
Taxonomy
Until recently, the sand gazelle was considered a subspecies of the goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa ), as Gazella subgutturosa marica . A 2010 genetic study established that it was a distinct lineage,[ 2] and it is now considered a separate species.[ 1] Further genetic analysis reported in 2012 found that the sand gazelle was closely related to two North African gazelles, Cuvier's gazelle (Gazella cuvieri ) and the rhim (Gazella leptoceros ), perhaps even belonging to a single species.[ 3]
References
^ a b c d IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2017). "Gazella marica " . IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017 : e.T8977A50187738. doi :10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T8977A50187738.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021 .
^ a b Wacher, Timothy; Wronski, Torsten; Hammond, Robert L.; Winney, Bruce; Blacket, Mark J.; Hundertmark, Kris J.; Mohammed, Osama B.; Omer, Sawsan A.; Macasero, William (2010-11-27). "Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences reveals polyphyly in the goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa)". Conservation Genetics . 12 (3): 827–831. doi :10.1007/s10592-010-0169-6 . ISSN 1566-0621 .
^ Hassanin, Alexandre; Delsuc, Frédéric; Ropiquet, Anne; Hammer, Catrin; Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine; Matthee, Conrad; Ruiz-Garcia, Manuel; Catzeflis, François; Areskoug, Veronika (2012). "Pattern and timing of diversification of Cetartiodactyla (Mammalia, Laurasiatheria), as revealed by a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial genomes" (PDF) . Comptes Rendus Biologies . 335 (1): 32–50. doi :10.1016/j.crvi.2011.11.002 . ISSN 1768-3238 . PMID 22226162 .
Gazella marica Gazella subgutturosa marica