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AuthorBarnett R.
AuthorSinding M.-H.S.
AuthorVieira F.G.
AuthorMendoza M.L.Z.
AuthorBonnet M.
AuthorAraldi A.
AuthorKienast I.
AuthorZambarda A.
AuthorYamaguchi N.
AuthorHenschel P.
AuthorGilbert M.T.P.
Available date2019-09-30T07:48:38Z
Publication Date2018
Publication NameConservation Genetics
ResourceScopus
ISSN1566-0621
URIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10592-017-1039-2
URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10576/11984
AbstractLions (Panthera leo) are of particular conservation concern due to evidence of recent, widespread population declines in what has hitherto been seen as a common species, robust to anthropogenic disturbance. Here we use non-invasive methods to recover complete mitochondrial genomes from single hair samples collected in the field in order to explore the identity of the Gabonese Plateaux Batéké lion. Comparison of the mitogenomes against a comprehensive dataset of African lion sequences that includes relevant geographically proximate lion populations from both contemporary and ancient sources, enabled us to identify the Plateaux Batéké lion as a close maternal relative to now extirpated populations found in Gabon and nearby Congo during the twentieth century, and to extant populations of Southern Africa. Our study demonstrates the relevance of ancient DNA methods to field conservation work, and the ability of trace field samples to provide copious genetic information about free-ranging animals.
SponsorAcknowledgements We thank the laboratory technicians of the Centre for GeoGenetics and the staff of the Danish National High-Throughput DNA Sequencing Centre for technical assistance. This project received funding from the European Union�s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no. FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF-298820, and ERC Consolidator Grant 681396 � Extinction Genomics. Fieldwork in Gabon was funded by Panthera and The Aspinall Foundation. We thank the Staff at Projet Protection Gorilles Gabon and the Gabonese National Park Agency for their assistance in fieldwork. Thanks also to Tony King for helpful comments on the manuscript. Permission to collect and export the samples was granted by the respective Ministries of the Environment (Eaux et Forets) in Gabon and Congo, and by Gabon�s National Park Agency (ANPN).
Languageen
PublisherSpringer Netherlands
SubjectAncient DNA
Congo
Gabon
Lion
Mitochondrial genomes
Panthera leo
Plateaux Batéké National Park
TitleNo longer locally extinct? Tracing the origins of a lion (Panthera leo) living in Gabon
TypeArticle
Pagination611-618
Issue Number3
Volume Number19


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