A timely systematic review on pangolin research, commercialization, and popularization to identify knowledge gaps and produce conservation guidelines

Heighton, Sean P.; Gaubert, Philippe

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109042

Cited by 45 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Our study is the first to provide a comprehensive population genetic assessment of an African pangolin species/lineage, filling an important knowledge gap for the future conservation of pangolins in Africa [ 16 ]. Overall, we showed that the DGL populations suffered from inbreeding, genetic diversity erosion and a drastic decline in effective population size.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, the genetic distinctiveness among the different WBP lineages has been used to assign the regional origins of international seizures of pangolin scales [ 8 ]. However, the lack of knowledge on the population genetics of WBP has hampered any attempts at assessing their demographic status and tracing their local—e.g., country-scale—trade (see [ 16 ]). The stakes behind tracing the local WBP trade are high, as they reside in identifying the source populations feeding the market (and thus the market network), but also estimating the number of individuals traded (e.g., from scales on stalls and in seizures), and, therefore, better informing conservation actions to mitigate this trade.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can DNA help trace the local trade of pangolins? Conservation genetics of white-bellied pangolins from the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)

et al. 2022

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Background African pangolins are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of harvesting, feeding both local demands and the illegal international trade. So far, the lack of knowledge on the population genetics of African pangolins has hampered any attempts at assessing their demographic status and tracing their trade at the local scale. We conducted a pioneer study on the genetic tracing of the African pangolin trade in the Dahomey Gap (DG). We sequenced and genotyped 189 white-bellied pangolins from 18 forests and 12 wildlife markets using one mitochondrial fragment and 20 microsatellite loci. Results Tree-based assignment procedure showed that the pangolin trade is endemic to the DG region, as it was strictly fed by the the Dahomey Gap lineage (DGL). DGL populations were characterized by low levels of genetic diversity, an overall absence of equilibrium, important inbreeding levels, and lack of geographic structure. We identified a 92–98% decline in DGL effective population size 200–500 ya—concomitant with major political transformations along the ‘Slave Coast’—leading to contemporaneous estimates being inferior to minimum viable population size (< 500). Genetic tracing suggested that wildlife markets from the DG sourced pangolins through the entire DGL range. Our loci provided the necessary power to distinguish among all the genotyped pangolins, tracing the dispatch of a same individual on the markets and within local communities. We developed an approach combining rarefaction analysis of private allele frequencies with cross-validation of observed data that traced five traded pangolins to their forest origin, c. 200–300 km away from the markets. Conclusions Although the genetic toolkit that we designed from traditional markers can prove helpful to trace the illegal trade in pangolins, our tracing ability was limited by the lack of population structure within the DGL. Given the deleterious combination of genetic, demographic, and trade-related factors affecting DGL populations, the conservation status of white-bellied pangolins in the DG should be urgently re-evaluated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can DNA help trace the local trade of pangolins? Conservation genetics of white-bellied pangolins from the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)

et al. 2022

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“…The majority of our pangolin viral surveillance data is from the Sunda pangolin, which is just one of the four species of pangolins that occur in Asia, and one of the eight species that occur globally ( 36 ). As this study confirms the Sunda pangolin is the species that is most commonly traded live through supply chains involving Viet Nam.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research suggests that the Asian species of pangolins are capable of hosting Betacoronaviruses with published reports of SARS-CoVs identified in Sunda pangolins ( 17 ), Chinese pangolins ( 19 ), and a suspected human to pangolin transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in an Indian pangolin ( 37 ). Even less is known about the four species of African pangolins with literature knowledge gaps extending from the health and physiology of individuals to the conservation status and impacts of poaching on populations ( 36 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Related Coronaviruses Circulating in Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) Confiscated From the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Viet Nam

Nga

Latinne

Thuy

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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Despite the discovery of several closely related viruses in bats, the direct evolutionary progenitor of SARS-CoV-2 has not yet been identified. In this study, we investigated potential animal sources of SARS-related coronaviruses using archived specimens from Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) and Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade, and from common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) raised on wildlife farms in Viet Nam. A total of 696 pangolin and civet specimens were screened for the presence of viral RNA from five zoonotic viral families and from Sarbecoviruses using primers specifically designed for pangolin coronaviruses. We also performed a curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, to illustrate the global pangolin supply chain in the context of Viet Nam where the trade confiscated pangolins were sampled for this study. All specimens from pangolins and civets sampled along the wildlife supply chains between February 2017 and July 2018, in Viet Nam and tested with conventional PCR assays designed to detect flavivirus, paramyxovirus, filovirus, coronavirus, and orthomyxovirus RNA were negative. Civet samples were also negative for Sarbecoviruses, but 12 specimens from seven live pangolins confiscated in Hung Yen province, northern Viet Nam, in 2018 were positive for Sarbecoviruses. Our phylogenetic trees based on two fragments of the RdRp gene revealed that the Sarbecoviruses identified in these pangolins were closely related to pangolin coronaviruses detected in pangolins confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, China. Our curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, reflected what is known about pangolin trafficking globally. Pangolins confiscated in Viet Nam were largely in transit, moving toward downstream consumers in China. Confiscations included pangolin scales sourced originally from Africa (and African species of pangolins), or pangolin carcasses and live pangolins native to Southeast Asia (predominately the Sunda pangolin) sourced from neighboring range countries and moving through Viet Nam toward provinces bordering China.

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“…Recently, the genetic distinctiveness among the different WBP lineages has been used to assign the regional origins of international seizures of pangolin scales [8]. However, the current lack of knowledge on the fine-scale population structure of WBP hampers any attempts at tracing their local –e.g., country-scale– trade (see [16]). The stakes behind tracing the local WBP trade are high, as they reside in, and, therefore, better Efficient conservation actions to mitigate the local WBP trade will rely on identifying the source populations feeding the market (and thus the market network) and accurate estimates of the number of individuals traded (e.g., from scale seizures).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can DNA help trace the local trade of pangolins? A genetic assessment of white-bellied pangolins from the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)

Zanvo

Djagoun

Azihou

et al. 2021

Preprint

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We conducted in the Dahomey Gap (DG) a pioneer study on the genetic tracing of the African pangolin trade. We sequenced and genotyped 189 white-bellied pangolins from 18 forests and 12 wildlife markets using one mitochondrial fragment and 20 microsatellites loci. Tree-based assignment procedure showed the 'endemicity' of the pangolin trade, as strictly fed by the lineage endemic to the DG (DGL). DGL populations were characterized by low levels of genetic diversity, an overall absence of equilibrium, inbreeding depression and lack of geographic structure. We identified a 92-98% decline in DGL effective population size 200-500 ya –concomitant with major political transformations along the 'Slave Coast' – leading to contemporaneous estimates inferior to minimum viable population size. Genetic tracing suggested that wildlife markets from the DG sourced through the entire DGL range. Our loci provided the necessary power to distinguish among all the genotyped pangolins, tracing the dispatch of same individuals on the markets and within local communities. We developed an approach combining rarefaction analysis of private allele frequencies and cross-validation with observed data that could trace five traded pangolins to their forest origin, c. 200-300 km away from the markets. Although the genetic toolkit that we designed from traditional markers can prove helpful to trace the pangolin trade, our tracing ability was limited by the lack of population structure within DGL. Given the deleterious combination of genetic, demographic and trade-related factors affecting DGL populations, the conservation status of white-bellied pangolins in the DG should be urgently re-evaluated.

show abstract

A timely systematic review on pangolin research, commercialization, and popularization to identify knowledge gaps and produce conservation guidelines

Cited by 45 publications

References 63 publications

Can DNA help trace the local trade of pangolins? Conservation genetics of white-bellied pangolins from the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)

Can DNA help trace the local trade of pangolins? Conservation genetics of white-bellied pangolins from the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Related Coronaviruses Circulating in Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) Confiscated From the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Viet Nam

Can DNA help trace the local trade of pangolins? A genetic assessment of white-bellied pangolins from the Dahomey Gap (West Africa)

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