Publications scientifiques
2016Article de revueanglais
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Publications scientifiques
Philippe Gaubert* (Auteur correspondant)
Autres affiliations : Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · École Pratique des Hautes Études · Universidade do Porto · Université de Montpellier · Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier · Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Christelle Tougard
Autres affiliations : Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement · École Pratique des Hautes Études · Université de Montpellier · Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier · Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Gabriel Ngua
Komlan Mawuli Afiademanyo
Jean Malekani
Sery Gonedelé Bi
Ayodeji Olayemi
Emmanuel Danquah
Chabi A. M. S. Djagoun
Prince Kaleme
Casimir Nebesse Mololo
William T. Stanley
Shu‐Jin Luo
Autres affiliations : Center for Life Sciences
Agostinho Antunes
Sylvain Dufour
Molecular Ecology
Knowledge on faunal diversification in African rainforests remains scarce. We used phylogeography to assess (i) the role of Pleistocene climatic oscillations in the diversification of the African common pangolin (Manis tricuspis) and (ii) the utility of our multilocus approach for taxonomic delineation and trade tracing of this heavily poached species. We sequenced 101 individuals for two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), two nuclear DNA and one Y-borne gene fragments (totalizing 2602 bp). We used a time-calibrated, Bayesian inference phylogenetic framework and conducted character-based, genetic and phylogenetic delineation of species hypotheses within African common pangolins. We identified six geographic lineages partitioned into western Africa, Ghana, the Dahomey Gap, western central Africa, Gabon and central Africa, all diverging during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. MtDNA (cytochrome b + control region) was the sole locus to provide diagnostic characters for each of the six lineages. Tree-based Bayesian delimitation methods using single- and multilocus approaches gave high support for 'species' level recognition of the six African common pangolin lineages. Although the diversification of African common pangolins occurred during Pleistocene cyclical glaciations, causative correlation with traditional rainforest refugia and riverine barriers in Africa was not straightforward. We conclude on the existence of six cryptic lineages within African common pangolins, which might be of major relevance for future conservation strategies. The high discriminative power of the mtDNA markers used in this study should allow an efficient molecular tracing of the regional origin of African common pangolin seizures.