Beyond the comfort zone: amphibian diversity and distribution in the West Sahara-Sahel using mtDNA and nuDNA barcoding and spatial modelling

Diversity, distribution and conservation of land mammals in Mauritania, North-West Africa

“…Current knowledge gaps are translated in a relatively high percentage of mammals categorised as DD (23% of extant species), in comparison to mammals at the global level (14%; [ 93 ]), especially in species within the Orders Chiroptera and Soricomorpha. A future comprehensive barcoding assessment of mammal diversity in the country should be prioritised, similar to the one recently made for amphibians [ 32 ]. This barcoding initiative could profit from the many sample vouchers available in museum collections outside the country.…”

“…As such, to ensure the representation of mammal species richness in protected areas, it could be considered a system of micro-reserves based on: 1) the rehabilitation and formal protection of the former Classified Forest designated along the Senegal River Valley. These high-standing and dense forests result from the seasonal flooding of the river valley and are important nesting sites for birds and breeding habitats for amphibians [ 27 , 32 ]. They would have the potential to be used as stepping-stone habitats along the main course of the Senegal River by aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals, as well as forest dwelling species; and 2) the formal protection of mountain rock-pools and the associated drainage systems that ensure seasonal connectivity [ 98 ], and gene flow between isolated populations of water-dependent taxa, as demonstrated in crocodiles [ 99 ].…”

“…Consequently, there is now a growing body of literature about the distribution of various organisms from multiple taxonomic groups in Mauritania (e.g., [ 24 — 27 ]). Most studies focused on amphibians and reptiles, including their diversity and distribution in the two national parks [ 28 , 29 ], inferences about their biogeographic patterns and evolutionary histories (e.g., [ 30 , 31 ]), and barcoding assessments [ 32 ]. Still, these studies are also revealing knowledge gaps and exposing severe threats to biodiversity conservation in Mauritania [ 5 , 33 , 34 ].…”

DNA barcode reference library for the West Sahara-Sahel reptiles

“…The Sahara Desert, together with the neighbouring arid Sahel, is the largest warm desert in the world and both represent two major ecoregions of the African continent, covering about 11,230,000 km 2 5 . Molecular taxonomy studies developed over the last decade within the Sahara-Sahel highlighted the need of urgent research to identify the hidden vertebrate diversity present in this arid and remote region 6 , 7 .…”

“…The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL; http://www.ibol.org/phase1/cbol/ ) aims at retrieving a DNA barcode for every species on Earth and lead to the development of numerous barcoding initiatives, including the ColdCode that aims at barcoding all herpetofauna 22 . This initiative established the widespread use of cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) mitochondrial marker for barcoding studies, resulting in the discovery and assessments of herptile diversity across the globe 20 , 23 , including the amphibians of the WSS 7 . DNA barcoding can thus aid to bridge the knowledge gap in poorly studied areas by providing means to understand local species diversity 24 .…”