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Background: The current taxonomy of the African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is primarily based on pelage pattern and geographic distribution, and nine subspecies are currently recognized. Although genetic studies have been conducted, their resolution is low, mainly due to limited sampling. Detailed knowledge about the genetic variation and phylogeography of the South African giraffe (G. c. giraffa) and the Angolan giraffe (G. c. angolensis) is lacking. We investigate genetic variation among giraffe matrilines by increased sampling, with a focus on giraffe key areas in southern Africa.
Results: The 1,562 nucleotides long mitochondrial DNA dataset (cytochrome b and partial control region) comprises 138 parsimony informative sites among 161 giraffe individuals from eight populations. We additionally included two okapis as an outgroup. The analyses of the maternally inherited sequences reveal a deep divergence between northern and southern giraffe populations in Africa, and a general pattern of distinct matrilineal clades corresponding to their geographic distribution. Divergence time estimates among giraffe populations place the deepest splits at several hundred thousand years ago.
Conclusions: Our increased sampling in southern Africa suggests that the distribution ranges of the Angolan and South African giraffe need to be redefined. Knowledge about the phylogeography and genetic variation of these two maternal lineages is crucial for the development of appropriate management strategies.
As one of the foremost scientists of the time, the Zurich-born botanist Hans Schinz travelled throughout the colony of German South-West Africa, now known as Namibia, from 1884 to 1886. During his expeditions, which covered the length and breadth of the country, he was an enthusiastic collector of many botanical, ethnographical, zoological and mineral samples. He described his experiences in vivid detail in letters to his family and colleagues in Zurich and Berlin. The extensive collections, with which he returned to Switzerland, and his subsequent research fostered his rapid career progression: in 1893 Hans Schinz became the director of the Zurich Botanical Gardens and in 1895 the Professor of Systematic Botany at the University of Zurich.