Diet preferences of common warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) in Gassi and Haro Aba Diko controlled hunting areas, Western Ethiopia

Edossa, Alemayehu; Bekele, Afework; Debella, Habte Jebessa

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01722

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 35 publications

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“…The success of extant African suids in various ecological niches indicates that they are excellent models to study the genetics of mammalian adaptive evolution in sub-Saharan Africa, which can provide additional valuable information on the spread of the family Suidae in Africa. Nevertheless, most of the previous studies associated with the extant African suids focused largely on phylogeny ( Gongora et al 2011 ; Liu et al 2019 ), phylogeography ( Muwanika et al 2003 ; Garcia-Erill et al 2022 ), social organization ( Muwanika et al 2007 ; White et al 2010 ), conservation biology ( Adeola et al 2021 ; Codjia et al 2021 ), feeding and reproductive biology ( Boshe 1981 ; Berger et al 2006 ; Edossa et al 2021 ), as well as infectious and parasitic diseases ( Luther et al 2007 ; Everett et al 2011 ; Blomstrom et al 2012 ; Apanaskevich et al 2013 ; Ebhodaghe et al 2021 ; Friant et al 2022 ). These have laid foundations for the preliminary understanding on their phylogeny, behavior, and adaptation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African Suid Genomes Provide Insights into the Local Adaptation to Diverse African Environments

Xie

Chen

Adeola

et al. 2022

Molecular Biology and Evolution

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African wild suids consist of several endemic species that represent ancient members of the family Suidae and have colonized diverse habitats on the African continent. However, limited genomic resources for African wild suids hinder our understanding of their evolution and genetic diversity. In this study, we assembled high-quality genomes of a common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), a red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus), as well as an East Asian Diannan small-ear pig (Sus scrofa). Phylogenetic analysis showed that common warthog and red river hog diverged from their common ancestor around the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, putatively predating their entry into Africa. We detected species-specific selective signals associated with sensory perception and interferon signaling pathways in common warthog and red river hog, respectively, which contributed to their local adaptation to savannah and tropical rainforest environments, respectively. The structural variation and evolving signals in genes involved in T cell immunity, viral infection, and lymphoid development were identified in their ancestral lineage. Our results provide new insights into the evolutionary histories and divergent genetic adaptations of African suids.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

African Suid Genomes Provide Insights into the Local Adaptation to Diverse African Environments

Xie

Chen

Adeola

et al. 2022

Molecular Biology and Evolution

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Intra-tooth stable isotope analysis reveals seasonal dietary variability and niche partitioning among bushpigs/red river hogs and warthogs

Yang,

Uno,

Cerling

et al. 2024

Current Zoology

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How animals respond to seasonal resource availability has profound implications for their dietary flexibility and realized ecological niches. We sought to understand seasonal dietary niche partitioning in extant African suids using intra-tooth stable isotope analysis of enamel. We collected enamel samples from canines of red river hogs/bushpigs (Potamochoerus spp.) and third molars of warthogs (Phacochoerus spp.) in three different regions of central and eastern Africa. We analyzed multiple samples from each tooth and used variations in stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios (δ13C and δ18O) and covariances between them to infer seasonal dietary changes. We found that most Phacochoerus display C4-dominated diets, while most Potamochoerus display C3-dominated diets. Phacochoerus and Potamochoerus that co-occur in the same region display no overlap in intra-tooth δ13C, which suggests dietary niche partitioning. They also show diverging δ13C values as the dry seasons progress and converging δ13C values during the peak of the rainy seasons, which suggests a greater dietary niche separation during the dry seasons when resources are scarce than during the rainy season. We found statistically significant cross-correlations between intra-tooth δ13C and δ18O in most specimens. We also observed a temporal lag between δ13C and δ18O in some specimens. This study demonstrates that intra-tooth stable isotope analysis is a promising approach to investigate seasonal dietary niche variation. However, large inter-individual variations in δ18O at certain localities can be challenging to interpret. Future studies that expand the intra-tooth stable isotope surveys or include controlled feeding experiments will improve its application in ecological studies.

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Divergent patterns of cranial suture fusion in marsupial and placental mammals

White,

Tucker,

Goswami

2024

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

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Cranial sutures, both open and closed, support a myriad of skull functions, including redistributing strain, accommodating brain expansion, supporting cranial bone growth, and protecting the brain. Thus, variation in the degree, timing, and pattern of suture fusion has functional implications. Using a comparative ontogenetic framework across Mammalia, we quantified degree and pattern of suture fusion through ontogeny for 22 mammalian species (N = 165). Suture closure was scored on a discrete scale for 31 cranial sutures and used to calculate closure scores for individual sutures and specimens. Ancestral state estimations found the degree of ancestral marsupial fusion to be more derived, differing from both the ancestral placental and ancestral therian. The average placental pattern followed the Krogman pattern of suture fusion (cranial vault, cranial base, circum-meatal, palatal, facial, and cranio-facial), whereas marsupials showed a distinct pattern. We propose a new pattern of suture fusion for marsupials: vault, cranio-facial, facial, circum-meatal, palate, cranial base. Delayed fusion of the marsupial cranial base is hypothesized here to support prolonged postnatal growth of the marsupial brain. Collectively, our study has identified a clear marsupial-placental dichotomy in the degree, timing, and pattern of suture fusion, with implications for understanding skull function and ontogeny.

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Diet preferences of common warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) in Gassi and Haro Aba Diko controlled hunting areas, Western Ethiopia

Cited by 4 publications

References 35 publications

African Suid Genomes Provide Insights into the Local Adaptation to Diverse African Environments

African Suid Genomes Provide Insights into the Local Adaptation to Diverse African Environments

Intra-tooth stable isotope analysis reveals seasonal dietary variability and niche partitioning among bushpigs/red river hogs and warthogs

Divergent patterns of cranial suture fusion in marsupial and placental mammals

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