1 / 28

Phylogeny of lions in West and Central Africa

Phylogeny of lions in West and Central Africa. Laura Bertola laura.bertola@gmail.com Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University. Background. Distribution present day lion populations

salome
Download Presentation

Phylogeny of lions in West and Central Africa

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Phylogeny of lions in West and Central Africa Laura Bertola laura.bertola@gmail.com Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University

  2. Background • Distribution present day lion populations • Two subspecies (IUCN):African & Asiatic lion • More variation in species  distinct clades • Taxonomy important for conservation

  3. Background West and Central Africa: • 10% of total African lion population • Populations small and isolated • Lion regionally endangered • Not (sufficiently) sampled for phylogenetic studies From the Conservation strategy for the lion in West and Central Africa, 2006

  4. Background Position of West and Central African lions unknown • West Africa unique climatological history • Dichotomy in other African mammals

  5. Questions •  Do lions from West and Central Africa form one or more distinct clade(s) within the species? • Evolutionary history of population • Genetic make up of populations • Implications for conservation management

  6. Approach • Collecting samples (wild & zoo) • DNA data: cyt b + control region: n = 53 (15 countries) • Increasing sample size with Genbank data:cyt b: n = 28 (5 countries)control region: n = 45 (19 countries) • Phylogenetic analyses: - Bayesian analysis- Maximum Likelihood analysis (ML)- Maximum Parsimony analysis (MP): haplotype network

  7. Results Consistent pattern in data: • South + East Africa: high genetic diversity • West + Central Africa: low genetic diversity • Close relationship India and West + Central Africa

  8. South + East Africa

  9. West + Central Africa South + East Africa

  10. West + Central Africa India South + East Africa

  11. South + East Africa

  12. West + Central Africa South + East Africa

  13. West + Central Africa India South + East Africa

  14. Discussion Genetic pattern can be explained by: 1. Current natural structures (Sahel belt, rain forest, Rift valley)

  15. Discussion Genetic pattern can be explained by: 2. Climatological history (hyperarid conditions in Western Africa) • Hyperarid conditions in Western Africa in late Pleistocene  local extinction • Refugia in Middle East • Recolonization of Western Africa (evolutionary young clade  low genetic variation)

  16. Sahara lion skull (Eduward Zuurdeeg) Current research • Intermediate position of lions from North Africa and the Middle East? • Ancient DNA methods on nowadays extinct lion populations Historic distribution Present distribution

  17. Sahara lion skull (Eduward Zuurdeeg) Current research • Intermediate position of lions from North Africa and the Middle East? • Ancient DNA methods on nowadays extinct lion populations Historic distribution Present distribution

  18. Current research •  Low genetic diversity in lion populations in West and Central Africa (inbreeding?) • Comparison genetic make up and level of inbreeding Cameroon – Kenya lion populations. Cameroon

  19. Current research •  Low genetic diversity in lion populations in West and Central Africa (inbreeding?) • Comparison genetic make up and level of inbreeding Cameroon – Kenya lion populations.

  20. Current research •  Low genetic diversity in lion populations in West and Central Africa (inbreeding?) • Comparison genetic make up and level of inbreeding Cameroon – Kenya lion populations.

  21. Current research • Non-invasive sampling • Microsatellite analysis:- Genetic variation: polymorphism + level heterozygosity - Risk of inbreeding • Population/park size, park management

  22. Current research • Results based on mDNA only (maternally inherited) • Dissolving of tree  Extend dataset: • Distribution of samples • Target other genetic regions:- Y-chromosomal region (paternal lineage)- Complete mitochondrial genome (maternal lineage)- Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), >30,000 datapoints

  23. Conclusion • West and Central Africa: • Genetically distinct • Different level of genetic variety • Unique evolutionary history • Insight into evolutionary processes in Africa • Giving priority to wild (meta)populations • Breeding programs for captive stocks • In the future: revision of phylo-taxonomy?

  24. Acknowledgements • Dr. Hans de Iongh • Dr. Klaas Vrieling • Prof. Dr. Geert de Snoo • Zoos and researchers whoprovided us with samples • Hermen Visser • Lana Müller • Hester Jongbloed

More Related