No longer locally extinct? Tracing the origins of a lion (Panthera leo) living in Gabon

Abstract

Lions (Panthera leo) are of particular conservation concern due to evidence of recent, widespread population declines in what has hitherto been seen as a common species, robust to anthropogenic disturbance. Here we use non-invasive methods to recover complete mitochondrial genomes from single hair samples collected in the field in order to explore the identity of the Gabonese Plateaux Batéké lion. Comparison of the mitogenomes against a comprehensive dataset of African lion sequences that includes relevant geographically proximate lion populations from both contemporary and ancient sources, enabled us to identify the Plateaux Batéké lion as a close maternal relative to now extirpated populations found in Gabon and nearby Congo during the twentieth century, and to extant populations of Southern Africa. Our study demonstrates the relevance of ancient DNA methods to field conservation work, and the ability of trace field samples to provide copious genetic information about free-ranging animals.

Where have all the lions gone? Establishing realistic baselines to assess decline and recovery of African lions

“…This estimate is difficult to verify as there is sparse historical data on population size available for the region; nevertheless, lions were described as “widespread” in the Congolese Savanna in the 1940s (Malbrant & Maclatchy 1949, in Chardonnet, 2002) and there are sporadic contemporary records of lions in the Batéké Plateau region of Gabon and Northern Congo (Hedwig et al, 2018; Henschel et al, 2014), suggesting a remnant of a possibly once widespread regional population may persist. It is suggested that lions from this region are more closely related to southern African populations, than those from West and Central Africa (Barnett et al, 2018), indicating possible historical connectivity with more southerly populations.…”

Genetic guidelines for translocations: Maintaining intraspecific diversity in the lion (Panthera leo)

“…This is particularly relevant for populations that are relatively unknown, both for their genetic background and their history, such as the lone lion in Gabon (Hedwig et al, 2018). A genetic sample from this individual was compared with mitogenome data from two historical samples from the same area, all showing a close genetic relationship to the Southwest haplogroup (Barnett et al, 2018). This example showcases the importance of such genetic assessments, as the nearest extant lion population from Gabon is located in Cameroon, despite it being a different subspecies.…”

“…This is particularly relevant for populations that are relatively unknown, both for their genetic background and their history, such as the lone lion in Gabon (Hedwig et al, 2018). A genetic sample from this individual was compared with mitogenome data from two historical samples from the same area, all showing a close genetic relationship to the Southwest haplogroup (Barnett et al, 2018). Despite the Indian population being very low in diversity as a result of multiple bottlenecks (Bertola et al, 2015;Driscoll et al, 2002), so far, reduced fitness due to inbreeding depression has not been clearly documented.…”

The natural history of lions in North Africa and the relevance of their depiction in the “Lions Attacking a Dromedary” diorama

“…Being long‐lived, lions may have survived in southern Morocco into the early 1960s, being unnoticed during World War II and later colonial conflicts of the 1950s. For comparison, a lion appeared in Gabon in 2015 and was genetically matched to a local population not seen for 20 years (Barnett et al, 2018).…”