Conservation translocations have become an important management tool, particularly for large wildlife species such as the lion (Panthera leo). When planning translocations, the genetic background of populations needs to be taken into account; failure to do so risks disrupting existing patterns of genetic variation, ultimately leading to genetic homogenization, and thereby reducing resilience and adaptability of the species. We urge wildlife managers to include knowledge of the genetic background of source/target populations, as well as species‐wide patterns, in any management intervention. We present a hierarchical decision‐making tool in which we list 132 lion populations/lion conservation units and provide information on genetic assignment, uncertainty and suitability for translocation for each source/target combination. By including four levels of suitability, from ‘first choice’ to ‘no option’, we provide managers with a range of options. To illustrate the extent of international trade of lions, and the potential disruption of natural patterns of intraspecific diversity, we mined the CITES Trade Database for estimated trade quantities of live individuals imported into lion range states during the past 4 decades. We identified 1056 recorded individuals with a potential risk of interbreeding with wild lions, 772 being captive‐sourced. Scoring each of the records with our decision‐making tool illustrates that only 7% of the translocated individuals were ‘first choice’ and 73% were ‘no option’. We acknowledge that other, nongenetic factors are important in the decision‐making process, and hence a pragmatic approach is needed. A framework in which source/target populations are scored based on suitability is not only relevant to lion, but also to other species of wildlife that are frequently translocated. We hope that the presented overview supports managers to include genetics in future management decisions and contributes towards conservation of the lion in its full diversity.

There are two main factors explaining variation among species and the evolution of characters along phylogeny: adaptive change, including phenotypic and genetic responses to selective pressures, and phylogenetic inertia, or the resemblance between species due to shared phylogenetic history. Phenotype-habitat colour match, a classic Darwinian example of the evolution of camouflage (crypsis), offers the opportunity to test the importance of historical versus ecological mechanisms in shaping phenotypes among phylogenetically closely related taxa. To assess it, we investigated fur (phenotypic data) and habitat (remote sensing data) colourations, along with phylogenetic information, in the species-rich Gerbillus genus. Overall, we found a strong phenotype-habitat match, once the phylogenetic signal is taken into account. We found that camouflage has been acquired and lost repeatedly in the course of the evolutionary history of Gerbillus. Our results suggest that fur colouration and its covariation with habitat is a relatively labile character in mammals, potentially responding quickly to selection. Relatively unconstrained and substantial genetic basis, as well as structural and functional independence from other fitness traits of mammalian colouration might be responsible for that observation.

The systematics of the arid‐adapted Old World Gerbillus rodent genus has always been challenging, with many different taxonomic arrangements proposed. Beyond such taxonomic aspects, the timing and geographical pattern of the evolutionary history of this group remains largely unknown. Based on mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and nuclear (interphotoreceptor retinoid‐binding protein) sequences obtained from the specimens of 21 species, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the group, estimated the ages and putative ancestral ranges of its major lineages. Four major clades were clearly retrieved within Gerbillus, for which we propose a subgenus rank. We showed that the emergence of the genus dates back to the end of the Miocene, which corresponds to a period of aridification and C4 vegetation expansion in open habitats, while the four sublineages originated at the end of the Pliocene. Most subsequent diversification events occurred during the Pleistocene, a period characterized by recurrent climatic/environmental shifts with increasing aridification during the last two millions of years. Finally, we suggested that most of the Gerbillus evolutionary history took place in Africa. Only in a few instances did dispersal events from Africa to Asia give birth to extant Asian lineages, a pattern that contrasts with what has been found in many animal groups.

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