title: Autosomal and mtDNA Markers Affirm the Distinctiveness of Lions in West and Central Africa.
abstract: The evolutionary history of a species is key for understanding the taxonomy and for the design of effective management strategies for species conservation. The knowledge about the phylogenetic position of the lion (Panthera leo) in West/Central Africa is largely based on mitochondrial markers. Previous studies using mtDNA only have shown this region to hold a distinct evolutionary lineage. In addition, anthropogenic factors have led to a strong decline in West/Central African lion numbers, thus, the conservation value of these populations is particularly high. Here, we investigate whether autosomal markers are concordant with previously described phylogeographic patterns, and confirm the unique position of the West/Central African lion. Analysis of 20 microsatellites and 1,454 bp of the mitochondrial DNA in 16 lion populations representing the entire geographic range of the species found congruence in both types of markers, identifying four clusters: 1) West/Central Africa, 2) East Africa, 3) Southern Africa and 4) India. This is not in line with the current taxonomy, as defined by the IUCN, which only recognizes an African and an Asiatic subspecies. There are no indications that genetic diversity in West/Central Africa lions is lower than in either East or Southern Africa, however, given this genetic distinction and the recent declines of lion numbers in this region, we strongly recommend prioritization of conservation projects in West/Central Africa. As the current taxonomic nomenclature does not reflect the evolutionary history of the lion, we suggest that a taxonomic revision of the lion is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), PO Box 9518, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden University, Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), PO Box 9505, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Laura D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Bertola
authors.affiliation: University of Johannesburg, Department of Zoology, PO Box 524, Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tensen
authors.affiliation: Wageningen University, Resource Ecology Group, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708, PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pim
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Hooft
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, La Kretz Hall Suite 300, 619 Charles E. Young Dr. East, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1496, United States of America.
authors.forename: Paula A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 248 001, Uttarakhand, India.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.affiliation: Panthera, 8 West 40th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY, 10018, United States of America.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henschel
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street at Central Park West, New York, NY, 10024, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caragiulo
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street at Central Park West, New York, NY, 10024, United States of America.
authors.forename: Isabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dias-Freedman
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), PO Box 9518, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Laboratoire d'Ecologie Appliquée, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Champ de Foire 03 BP 1974, Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: Etotépé A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sogbohossou
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), PO Box 9518, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Environment and Development Studies in Cameroon, University of Dschang, BP 410, Maroua, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Pricelia N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Tumenta
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), PO Box 9518, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tuqa H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Jirmo
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), PO Box 9518, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geert R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: de Snoo
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), PO Box 9518, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands; University of Antwerp, Department Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: de Iongh
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), PO Box 9505, 2300, RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Klaas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vrieling
mesh_terms: D000350:Africa, Central; D000354:Africa, Western; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D008045:Lions / Q000235:genetics*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005819:Genetic Markers