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Genetic Evidence for Two Species of Elephant in Africa
Alfred L. Roca,1Nicholas Georgiadis,2Jill Pecon-Slattery,1Stephen J. O'Brien1*
Elephants from the tropical forests of Africa are
morphologically distinct from savannah or bush elephants. Dart-biopsy
samplesfrom 195 free-ranging African elephants in 21 populations wereexamined for DNA sequence variation in four nuclear genes (1732base
pairs). Phylogenetic distinctions between African forestelephant and
savannah elephant populations corresponded to 58%of the difference in
the same genes between elephant genera Loxodonta(African)
and Elephas (Asian). Large genetic distance, multiplegenetically fixed nucleotide site differences, morphological andhabitat distinctions, and extremely limited hybridization of geneflow
between forest and savannah elephants support the recognitionand
conservation management of two African species: Loxodontaafricana and Loxodonta cyclotis.
1 Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National
Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
2 Mpala
Research Center, Post Office Box 555, Nanyuki, Kenya.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
obrien{at}ncifcrf.gov
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