ABSTRACT Following the 1991–1995 civil war in Rwanda, large parts of Akagera National Park (NP) and the adjacent Mutara Game Reserve were endowed by government to returning war refugees for cattle grazing. In 1997, official degazettement reduced the area covered by these two protected areas by 60% (from 2800 km2 to 1120 km2). This study reports trends in population sizes and densities of ungulates in modern Akagera NP (1120 km2), with a focus on the more common ungulates (impala, topi, zebra, buffalo, waterbuck, and warthog). Data from previous surveys are compared with our 2010–2014 road strip counts using distance sampling. A decline of ungulate populations during the civil war, followed by recovery several years after reduction of the size of the Park, is evident. The ungulate populations show different trends in size in recent years, suggesting that the carrying capacity has been reached for some species.
1991-1995年卢旺达内战后，阿卡格拉国家公园(Akagera National Park, NP)和邻近的穆塔拉野生动物保护区(Mutara Game Reserve)的大部分地区被政府捐赠给返回的战争难民，供他们放牧。1997年，官方将这两个保护区的面积减少了60%(从2800平方公里减少到1120平方公里)。本研究报告了现代Akagera NP(1120平方公里)有蹄类动物种群规模和密度的趋势，重点关注了更常见的有蹄类动物(黑斑羚、土羚、斑马、水牛、水羚和疣猪)。之前调查的数据与我们2010-2014年使用距离抽样的道路条数进行了比较。内战期间有蹄类动物数量的减少是显而易见的，在公园面积缩小几年后，有蹄类动物数量又恢复了。近年来，有蹄类种群的规模呈现出不同的趋势，表明某些物种的承载能力已经达到。
{"title":"Recovery of Ungulate Populations in Post-Civil War Akagera National Park, Rwanda","authors":"A. Apio, M. Plath, T. Wronski","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0110","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Following the 1991–1995 civil war in Rwanda, large parts of Akagera National Park (NP) and the adjacent Mutara Game Reserve were endowed by government to returning war refugees for cattle grazing. In 1997, official degazettement reduced the area covered by these two protected areas by 60% (from 2800 km2 to 1120 km2). This study reports trends in population sizes and densities of ungulates in modern Akagera NP (1120 km2), with a focus on the more common ungulates (impala, topi, zebra, buffalo, waterbuck, and warthog). Data from previous surveys are compared with our 2010–2014 road strip counts using distance sampling. A decline of ungulate populations during the civil war, followed by recovery several years after reduction of the size of the Park, is evident. The ungulate populations show different trends in size in recent years, suggesting that the carrying capacity has been reached for some species.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115799781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nutritional and Energetic Correlates of Cheek Pouch Use in Cercopithecinae","authors":"J. Lambert, J. Rothman","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0106","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125540322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT Jonathan Kingdon, 45 years ago, first pointed out the special nature of the East African coastal and montane forests, that a number of mammals are endemic to these forests, and that they are not just an eastern extension of the Central African rainforest belt. Other authors, and Kingdon himself, subsequently enhanced and modified this concept (which applies also to other animals and to plants) although, in the main, the montane forms have been designated to the ‘Eastern Arc’ region or subregion and the coastal ones to the ‘Swahilian’ region or subregion. In this paper, I review the mammals of these two sets of forests, and find that they are not in fact so different from each other. As such, I formally propose to unite them, using the name under which Kingdon informally designated them, the ‘Zanj Subregion’.
{"title":"Jonathan Kingdon and the East African Forests","authors":"C. Groves","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0105","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Jonathan Kingdon, 45 years ago, first pointed out the special nature of the East African coastal and montane forests, that a number of mammals are endemic to these forests, and that they are not just an eastern extension of the Central African rainforest belt. Other authors, and Kingdon himself, subsequently enhanced and modified this concept (which applies also to other animals and to plants) although, in the main, the montane forms have been designated to the ‘Eastern Arc’ region or subregion and the coastal ones to the ‘Swahilian’ region or subregion. In this paper, I review the mammals of these two sets of forests, and find that they are not in fact so different from each other. As such, I formally propose to unite them, using the name under which Kingdon informally designated them, the ‘Zanj Subregion’.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122192245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Marshall, Ricardo J. R. Lemos de Figueiredo, R. Gereau, Yahya S. Abeid, A. Ahrends, E. Fanning, T. Jones, J. Lovett, Cara J. Marshall, T. Davenport, Claire E. Bracebridge
ABSTRACT Effective conservation of threatened species requires a good understanding of their habitat. Most primates are threatened by tropical forest loss. One population of the critically endangered kipunji monkey Rungwecebus kipunji occurs in a restricted part of one forest in southern Tanzania. This restricted range is something of an enigma. We collated woody vegetation data to assess habitat quality in and around the core kipunji range (Vikongwa) compared to other nearby forests. Habitat quality in Vikongwa was high compared to other regional and African forests, in that tree stem density, basal area, species richness and availability of kipunji dietary species were all comparatively high. However, the nearby Sanje forest, where the kipunji is absent, had comparable habitat to Vikongwa. We concur with previous research that the kipunji is dependent on old growth forest. However, the availability of comparable vegetation in at least one nearby forest suggests that habitat is not the only reason for the kipunji's restricted range.
{"title":"Evaluating the Habitat of the Critically Endangered Kipunji Monkey","authors":"A. Marshall, Ricardo J. R. Lemos de Figueiredo, R. Gereau, Yahya S. Abeid, A. Ahrends, E. Fanning, T. Jones, J. Lovett, Cara J. Marshall, T. Davenport, Claire E. Bracebridge","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0112","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Effective conservation of threatened species requires a good understanding of their habitat. Most primates are threatened by tropical forest loss. One population of the critically endangered kipunji monkey Rungwecebus kipunji occurs in a restricted part of one forest in southern Tanzania. This restricted range is something of an enigma. We collated woody vegetation data to assess habitat quality in and around the core kipunji range (Vikongwa) compared to other nearby forests. Habitat quality in Vikongwa was high compared to other regional and African forests, in that tree stem density, basal area, species richness and availability of kipunji dietary species were all comparatively high. However, the nearby Sanje forest, where the kipunji is absent, had comparable habitat to Vikongwa. We concur with previous research that the kipunji is dependent on old growth forest. However, the availability of comparable vegetation in at least one nearby forest suggests that habitat is not the only reason for the kipunji's restricted range.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128756751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. Zinner, C. Keller, J. Nyahongo, T. Butynski, Y. D. Jong, L. Pozzi, S. Knauf, Rasmus Liedigk, C. Roos
ABSTRACT Recent genetic studies, using maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA, indicate a complex evolutionary history for baboons Papio spp. in general, and for eastern African baboons in particular. To further address this topic and to improve our understanding of phylogeographic patterns of baboons in eastern Africa, mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data were analysed from 148 baboon samples from 103 locations in eastern Africa. The resultant phylogenetic reconstructions suggest an initial split of baboons into four main clades: southern chacma baboons, baboons from Mahale Mountains in Tanzania, main southern, and main northern. We confirm that the boundary between southern and northern clades lies along the Ugalla-Malagarasi River and Ruaha-Rufiji River of central Tanzania. We detected new mitochondrial haplogroups, most notably the Mahale Mountains clade, and refined haplogroup distributions. The evolutionary divergence of baboons in eastern Africa was most likely triggered and maintained by numerous episodes of population division and reconnection, probably related mainly to climate change. To better understand these processes, nuclear DNA information is required, especially to assess gene flow among populations.
{"title":"Distribution of Mitochondrial Clades and Morphotypes of Baboons Papio spp. (Primates: Cercopithecidae) in Eastern Africa","authors":"D. Zinner, C. Keller, J. Nyahongo, T. Butynski, Y. D. Jong, L. Pozzi, S. Knauf, Rasmus Liedigk, C. Roos","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0111","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Recent genetic studies, using maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA, indicate a complex evolutionary history for baboons Papio spp. in general, and for eastern African baboons in particular. To further address this topic and to improve our understanding of phylogeographic patterns of baboons in eastern Africa, mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data were analysed from 148 baboon samples from 103 locations in eastern Africa. The resultant phylogenetic reconstructions suggest an initial split of baboons into four main clades: southern chacma baboons, baboons from Mahale Mountains in Tanzania, main southern, and main northern. We confirm that the boundary between southern and northern clades lies along the Ugalla-Malagarasi River and Ruaha-Rufiji River of central Tanzania. We detected new mitochondrial haplogroups, most notably the Mahale Mountains clade, and refined haplogroup distributions. The evolutionary divergence of baboons in eastern Africa was most likely triggered and maintained by numerous episodes of population division and reconnection, probably related mainly to climate change. To better understand these processes, nuclear DNA information is required, especially to assess gene flow among populations.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133192107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT Roosevelt's sable Hippotragus niger roosevelti is one of Kenya's most distinctive and threatened large mammals. Historically, sable herds occurred in the vicinity of Taveta, and in the miombo and Diospyros woodlands of the coastal hinterland from the Tanzania-Kenya border northward for at least 210 km. Most of the historic distribution of sable in Kenya lies 15–35 km inland from the coast at 100–200 m altitude where mean annual rainfall is 800–1200 mm. In terms of numbers, however, most sable occurred in the higher and wetter Shimba Hills (150–460 m; mean annual rainfall 1000–1200 mm). Bachelor males sometimes moved >150 km inland. Much of the decline of the distribution and size of Kenya's sable population occurred during 1950–1980. Sable in Kenya not reported outside of Shimba Hills National Reserve after 1994. Geographic distribution of sable herds in Kenya declined from roughly 5000 km2 in 1884 to 70 km2 today (>98% decline in 132 years). The number of sable in Kenya was already small as of 1884, when there were probably <400 individuals. Kenya's sable population declined from >235 individuals in the mid-1970s to ca. 60 individuals in 2015 (>74% decline in 40 years). Given the low number, small distribution, and rapid decline, sable in Kenya qualifies as a nationally ‘Critically Endangered' species. Recommendations for the conservation of sable in Kenya are provided.
{"title":"Historic and Current Distribution, Abundance, and Habitats of Roosevelt's Sable Antelope Hippotragus niger roosevelti (Heller, 1910) (Cerartiodactyla: Bovidae) in Kenya","authors":"T. Butynski, I. Parker, Y. D. Jong","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0107","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Roosevelt's sable Hippotragus niger roosevelti is one of Kenya's most distinctive and threatened large mammals. Historically, sable herds occurred in the vicinity of Taveta, and in the miombo and Diospyros woodlands of the coastal hinterland from the Tanzania-Kenya border northward for at least 210 km. Most of the historic distribution of sable in Kenya lies 15–35 km inland from the coast at 100–200 m altitude where mean annual rainfall is 800–1200 mm. In terms of numbers, however, most sable occurred in the higher and wetter Shimba Hills (150–460 m; mean annual rainfall 1000–1200 mm). Bachelor males sometimes moved >150 km inland. Much of the decline of the distribution and size of Kenya's sable population occurred during 1950–1980. Sable in Kenya not reported outside of Shimba Hills National Reserve after 1994. Geographic distribution of sable herds in Kenya declined from roughly 5000 km2 in 1884 to 70 km2 today (>98% decline in 132 years). The number of sable in Kenya was already small as of 1884, when there were probably <400 individuals. Kenya's sable population declined from >235 individuals in the mid-1970s to ca. 60 individuals in 2015 (>74% decline in 40 years). Given the low number, small distribution, and rapid decline, sable in Kenya qualifies as a nationally ‘Critically Endangered' species. Recommendations for the conservation of sable in Kenya are provided.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114088129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT More than 150 years after the first Europeans tackled Mount Kilimanjaro, the mammal fauna of Africa's highest mountain is still shrouded in mystery. This even applies to the common eland Taurotragus oryx, the world's second largest antelope, signs of which have been observed at altitudes between 3000 m and 5200 m, supplemented by a small number of sight records. Nobody has ever researched this ‘mountain eland’, or published photographs thereof. As a result, its biology and ecology are unknown and the following question remains unanswered, ‘Is this an insular, mountain-adapted population of eland, or only a temporary or seasonal migrant from the plains below?’. This literature review intends to stimulate interest in researching eland on Mount Kilimanjaro.
{"title":"Common Eland Taurotragus oryx on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: A Literature Review","authors":"H. Schabel","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0108","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT More than 150 years after the first Europeans tackled Mount Kilimanjaro, the mammal fauna of Africa's highest mountain is still shrouded in mystery. This even applies to the common eland Taurotragus oryx, the world's second largest antelope, signs of which have been observed at altitudes between 3000 m and 5200 m, supplemented by a small number of sight records. Nobody has ever researched this ‘mountain eland’, or published photographs thereof. As a result, its biology and ecology are unknown and the following question remains unanswered, ‘Is this an insular, mountain-adapted population of eland, or only a temporary or seasonal migrant from the plains below?’. This literature review intends to stimulate interest in researching eland on Mount Kilimanjaro.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125966428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tutilo Mudumba, Edward Okot Omoya, Joel Ziwa Mustafa Nsubuga, A. Plumptre
ABSTRACT The sizes of African lion home ranges vary widely but tend to correlate with characteristics of the prey populations (e.g. prey density and preferred prey weight). Lion home ranges should be expected to temporally fluctuate according to changes in prey biomass. Here we quantified and compared the home range sizes of lions in Uganda with data collected in the 1970's and that collected in the 2000's. Average range sizes of individual lions were 34.0 and 38.1 km2 for the two prides studied, while pride range was 35.7 and 43.1 km2 (Fixed-kernel method). Surprisingly, we found little variation in size of these home ranges between the two periods assessed. Across both periods, lion home ranges tended to be associated with grassland and wooded grassland to woodland, riverine forest and bushland habitats. The core lion home ranges typically overlapped with habitat where Uganda kob (preferred prey in this region) were most abundant and where most kills were made. Buffalo, topi, and waterbuck are avoided while warthog is preyed on in accordance with availability. Range location has not changed greatly since the 1970s although home range size has increased and pride size decreased, possibly in response to lower prey biomass.
{"title":"Home Ranges of Ishasha Lions: Size and Location in Relation to Habitat and Prey Availability","authors":"Tutilo Mudumba, Edward Okot Omoya, Joel Ziwa Mustafa Nsubuga, A. Plumptre","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0115","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The sizes of African lion home ranges vary widely but tend to correlate with characteristics of the prey populations (e.g. prey density and preferred prey weight). Lion home ranges should be expected to temporally fluctuate according to changes in prey biomass. Here we quantified and compared the home range sizes of lions in Uganda with data collected in the 1970's and that collected in the 2000's. Average range sizes of individual lions were 34.0 and 38.1 km2 for the two prides studied, while pride range was 35.7 and 43.1 km2 (Fixed-kernel method). Surprisingly, we found little variation in size of these home ranges between the two periods assessed. Across both periods, lion home ranges tended to be associated with grassland and wooded grassland to woodland, riverine forest and bushland habitats. The core lion home ranges typically overlapped with habitat where Uganda kob (preferred prey in this region) were most abundant and where most kills were made. Buffalo, topi, and waterbuck are avoided while warthog is preyed on in accordance with availability. Range location has not changed greatly since the 1970s although home range size has increased and pride size decreased, possibly in response to lower prey biomass.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121914429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jonathan Kingdon is recognised for his profound knowledge of natural history and his meticulous and superb drawings of African mammals. These two strengths come together in the study of mammalian colouration where his colour paintings and his black and white drawings depict the patterning of coat colours exceptionally well. Sometimes the underlying morphology and the way that animals show off their pelage patterns are shown too. While artwork is central to Kingdon’s career, resulting in the field guides for which he is so renowned, he has also offered multiple hypotheses regarding the evolutionary history and selective forces underlying colouration in mammals. Some of these hypotheses have been tested and confirmed, others have directed research in new directions, as I show below. Kingdon has long been a champion of functional ideas about mammalian colouration. One of his most memorable findings concerns the crested or maned rat Lophiomys imhausi MilneEdwards 1867 (figure 1). This species has woolly grey fur, bold black and white markings on the face, and black and white lateral stripes. When alarmed, fur on the flank is flared to reveal a tract of specialized hairs that the animal presents to its attacker. Crested
{"title":"Kingdon on Colouration: Crested Rats, Guenons and Zebras","authors":"T. Caro","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0104","url":null,"abstract":"Jonathan Kingdon is recognised for his profound knowledge of natural history and his meticulous and superb drawings of African mammals. These two strengths come together in the study of mammalian colouration where his colour paintings and his black and white drawings depict the patterning of coat colours exceptionally well. Sometimes the underlying morphology and the way that animals show off their pelage patterns are shown too. While artwork is central to Kingdon’s career, resulting in the field guides for which he is so renowned, he has also offered multiple hypotheses regarding the evolutionary history and selective forces underlying colouration in mammals. Some of these hypotheses have been tested and confirmed, others have directed research in new directions, as I show below. Kingdon has long been a champion of functional ideas about mammalian colouration. One of his most memorable findings concerns the crested or maned rat Lophiomys imhausi MilneEdwards 1867 (figure 1). This species has woolly grey fur, bold black and white markings on the face, and black and white lateral stripes. When alarmed, fur on the flank is flared to reveal a tract of specialized hairs that the animal presents to its attacker. Crested","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124037332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Bowkett, T. Jones, F. Rovero, M. Nielsen, A. Plowman, J. Stevens
ABSTRACT As for many tropical regions, the evolutionary and demographic status of antelope populations in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, are poorly resolved. We employed genetic information from 618 faecal samples to assess the status of forest antelope species in terms of their distribution, intraspecific diversity and population subdivision within the Udzungwa landscape. Most species were detected in the majority of forest fragments, except for Philantomba monticola. Phylogenetic analyses were consistent with traditional taxonomy with the exception of Cephalophus harveyi which was paraphyletic with respect to C. natalensis. There was strong support for three C. harveyi mtDNA clades within the Udzungwa Mountains although nuclear genetic variation did not partition strongly with these maternal lineages. Significant partitioning of genetic variation between sampling areas was detected for all species except the endangered C. spadix. Overall, our results demonstrate the value of non-invasive genetic sampling in studying the distribution and evolution of rarely observed species.
{"title":"Genetic Patterns in Forest Antelope Populations in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, as Inferred from Non-Invasive Sampling","authors":"A. Bowkett, T. Jones, F. Rovero, M. Nielsen, A. Plowman, J. Stevens","doi":"10.2982/028.104.0109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2982/028.104.0109","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT As for many tropical regions, the evolutionary and demographic status of antelope populations in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, are poorly resolved. We employed genetic information from 618 faecal samples to assess the status of forest antelope species in terms of their distribution, intraspecific diversity and population subdivision within the Udzungwa landscape. Most species were detected in the majority of forest fragments, except for Philantomba monticola. Phylogenetic analyses were consistent with traditional taxonomy with the exception of Cephalophus harveyi which was paraphyletic with respect to C. natalensis. There was strong support for three C. harveyi mtDNA clades within the Udzungwa Mountains although nuclear genetic variation did not partition strongly with these maternal lineages. Significant partitioning of genetic variation between sampling areas was detected for all species except the endangered C. spadix. Overall, our results demonstrate the value of non-invasive genetic sampling in studying the distribution and evolution of rarely observed species.","PeriodicalId":143820,"journal":{"name":"Journal of East African Natural History","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122383646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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