In recent years, policy-makers have sought the development of appropriate tools to prevent and manage introductions of invasive species. However, these tools are not well suited for introductions of non-target species that are unknowingly released alongside intentionally-introduced species. The most compelling example of such invasion is arguably the topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, a small cyprinid species originating from East Asia. A combination of sociological, economical and biological factors has fuelled their rapid invasion since the 1960s; 32 countries (from Central Asia to North Africa) have been invaded in less than 50 years. Based on a combination of monitoring surveys (2535 populations sampled) and literature reviews, this paper aims to quantify and characterise important invasion parameters, such as pathways of introduction, time between introduction and detection, lag phase and plasticity of life history traits. Every decade, five new countries have reported
The aoudad or Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) is a threatened ungulate emblematic of North Africa, whose population structure and subspecific taxonomy have not been examined genetically. This knowledge is essential and urgently needed to inform ongoing conservation and management efforts. We analysed the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and four nuclear genes (casein kappa, spectrin beta nonerythrocytic 1, thyroglobulin, thyrotropin subunit beta) for the first phylogeographic survey of the aoudad, and uncovered a deep Mediterranean-Saharan mitochondrial split separating two highly distinct evolutionary lineages. Their level of divergence is greater than or comparable to those observed between several pairs of congeneric species of different caprine genera. The split was estimated to have occurred in the Early Pleistocene, about 1.3 million years ago. None of the four nuclear genes surveyed, chosen because they have been used in phylogeographic and species-level phylogenetic studies of bovids, allowed us to detect, likely due to their slow evolutionary rate, the substantial and geographically coherent subdivision revealed by mitochondrial DNA. This study is evidence and testament to the ability of mitochondrial DNA, probably unrivalled by any other single-locus marker, as an exploratory tool for investigating population genealogy and history and identifying potential evolutionarily significant units for conservation in animals.
n Algeria, the dromedary Camelus dromedarius, remains an important and valuable resource despite the decreasing number of its individuals. The situation of the livestock seems to be enhanced these last years, with the growing demand of camel’s milk and meat. The dromedary is an excellent animal for using local food resources available in arid and semi-arid climates but sadly there are only few studies about it and the scientific progress contributes very little in its breeding cycles. The dromedary populations are so phenotypically Algerian so different that supposes a lot of differentiations on the genomic scale which could be a beneficial advantage in the context of the adaptation to the new environmental conditions.The dromedary has long suffered from the sedentarily of the breeders as well as the bad health conditions. Lately the government has launched economical programs that intend to promote the local animal resources so the situation of the dromedary is getting better, thanks to the support of the government and the benefits behind the dromedary products. We believe that there is a lot to be done yet about the identification of the dromedary genetics. The purpose of the coming efforts are conservation and amelioration of these local resources which has a great impact for the promotion of the Algerian economy
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