DNA-led rediscovery of the giant sable antelope in Angola

The giant sable antelope (Hippotragus niger variani), unique to Angola, was feared extinct after almost three decades of civil war. Comparisons of mitochondrial DNA sequences derived from dung samples recently collected in the field and from old museum specimens of certain provenance provide the fir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of wildlife research 2006-08, Vol.52 (3), p.145-152
Main Authors: Pitra, Christian, VazPinto, Pedro, O’Keeffe, Brendan W. J, Willows-Munro, Sandi, Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine, Robinson, Terry J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
antelopes
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Dung
feces
Hippotragus
Hippotragus niger
Mitochondrial DNA
monophyly
nucleotide sequences
Population decline
population dynamics
provenance
sampling
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Summary:The giant sable antelope (Hippotragus niger variani), unique to Angola, was feared extinct after almost three decades of civil war. Comparisons of mitochondrial DNA sequences derived from dung samples recently collected in the field and from old museum specimens of certain provenance provide the first documented evidence to date that this enigmatic antelope has survived. Its DNA-led rediscovery in the former combat zone was subsequently confirmed by photographic evidence. The Angolan isolate constitutes a distinct monophyletic group that shows a dramatic population decline from historic levels. It represents a diagnosable conservation unit which is characterised by unique cranial morphological features (Blaine 1922 1922:317–339), a highly restricted range, and the presence of fixed genetic differences in all of its common relatives.
ISSN:1612-4642
1439-0574
DOI:10.1007/s10344-005-0026-y