No abstract

Polyphasic skeletal muscle degeneration, necrosis and mineralization of skeletal muscle was diagnosed in eight juvenile free-ranging lions (Panthera leo), from five different litters in the Greater Kruger National Park area that were unable to walk properly. A detailed investigation was not possible in free-ranging lions, so the cause could not be determined. The cases resembled hypokalemic polymyopathy in domestic cats with muscle weakness. A candidate-gene approach previously identified a nonsense mutation in the gene coding for the enzyme lysine-deficient 4 protein kinase (WNK4) associated with the disease in Burmese and Tonkinese cats. In this study, we sequenced all 19 exons of the gene in one case, and two control samples, to identify possible mutations that may be associated with polymyopathy in free-ranging lions. Here, no mutations were detected in any of the exons sequenced. Our findings indicate that the WNK4 gene is not a major contributor to the condition in these lions. Further studies into the pathogenesis of this condition are needed to inform conservation policies for this vulnerable, iconic African species.

No abstract

Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius) is a widely distributed species that occurs south of the Sahara Desert and migrates seasonally between breeding and non-breeding sites. It is currently unknown if the species consists of a single panmictic population or if it is genetically structured. To investigate this, we analysed sequence variation in three mitochondrial and two nuclear gene regions in combination with morphological measurements in specimens from four localities. Phylogenetic relationships were estimated using maximum likelihood methods and included specimens of Klaas's Cuckoo (Chrysoccyx klaas), Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius) and African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) to characterise levels of genetic differentiation. Haplotype networks and analysis of molecular variance were used to characterize the spatial distribution of genetic diversity. Lastly, a principal component analysis was performed to investigate morphological variation among localities based on selected characters. Molecular analysis identified two mitochondrial lineages that were syntopic (i.e., samples collected from the same locality in South Africa either grouped with clade one or two).The magnitude of divergence between-vs. within-clades was low (0.4-1%), but significant (FST: 0.84-0.88). Lack of apparent phylogeographic structure provides support for the absence of physical barriers to gene flow. Further, morphological analyses did not show any pattern of variation among lineages. The emergence and persistence of shallow mitochondrial divergence among sympatric lineages in Diederik Cuckoo may possibly be attributed to maternal divergence in host selection of these brood parasites.