Distinct and diverse: range-wide phylogeography reveals ancient lineages and high genetic variation in the endangered okapi (Okapia johnstoni).

摘要: The okapi is an endangered, evolutionarily distinctive even-toed ungulate classified within the giraffidae family that endemic to Democratic Republic of Congo. currently under major anthropogenic threat, yet date nothing known about its genetic structure and evolutionary history, information important for conservation management given species' current plight. distribution okapi, being confined Congo Basin spanning River, also makes it species testing general biogeographic hypotheses fauna, a understudied area research. Here we describe history in context other African ungulates including giraffe, use this shed light on fauna general. Using nuclear mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis mainly non-invasively collected samples, show both highly genetically distinct diverse, unusual combination traits endangered species, feature complex history. Genetic data are consistent with repeated climatic cycles leading multiple Plio-Pleistocene refugia isolated forests catchment but imply historic gene flow across River.