Rapid isolation and characterization of microsatellites in the critically endangered mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci)

Abstract

High-throughput sequencing tools promise to revolutionize many aspects of genetic research, e.g. by allowing the identification of functional adaptive genetic variation. However, the expense and expertise required to apply these tools to basic conservation questions is a challenge for applications outside academia, resulting in a so-called 'conservation genomics gap' (Shafer . 2015). The conservation genetics paradigm is that, basic information about inbreeding and gene flow are often critical to inform conservation management of small populations (Ouborg. 2010). This information is often needed quickly and ideally should be accessible to workers without special expertise in genomics (DeSalle and Amato 2004). While the inferential power of highthroughput sequencing to interrogate the genome is profound, the cost for population analysis is higher (though decreasing) than for traditional neutral markers. Thus, the use of neutral markers is still relevant in conservation applications. However, this assumes that neutral markers have been discovered and characterized for a given species of conservation concern, which is often untrue for nonmodel organisms. Here, we use a fast, cost-efficient, high-throughput sequencing method (Illumina MiSeq) to rapidly identify and characterize microsatellites in the mountain bongo (), which has a clear and timely conservation imperative but lacks any described neutral markers.

Evaluation of the Impact of Population Management on the Genetic Parameters of Selected Spiral-Horned Antelopes

“…Despite being the most intensely managed and threatened taxa, the mountain bongo and lesser kudu showed different values of genetic diversity. The low genetic diversity of the mountain bongo population is in accordance with the findings of O'Donoghue et al [63] and Combe et al [67] and could be linked to the reduced variability of the subspecies in the wild, which was observed by Faria et al [68] and is a common occurrence in many critically endangered taxa [69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76]. The founder population, despite being relatively large, may therefore have been of limited genetic diversity to start with.…”

Community Knowledge and Attitudes towards the Critically Endangered Mountain Bongo in Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy

“…Apparently, majority of the respondents believed that the bongos could serve as a source of bushmeat and are suitable for hunting. This revelation is worrying given that hunting is believed to be the main cause for bongo population decline and local extinction in Kenya [53,54,55] and could jeopardize reintroduction efforts.…”