| genetic diversity and population history of the red panda (ailurus fulgens) as inferred from mitochondrial dna sequence variations. | the red panda (ailurus fulgens) is one of the flagship species in worldwide conservation and is of special interest in evolutionary studies due to its taxonomic uniqueness. we sequenced a 236-bp fragment of the mitochondrial d-loop region in a sample of 53 red pandas from two populations in southwestern china. seventeen polymorphic sites were found, together with a total of 25 haplotypes, indicating a high level of genetic diversity in the red panda. however, no obvious genetic divergence was de ... | 2001 | 11371595 |