Sally A. Lahm

Catastrophic ape decline in western equatorial Africa

Because rapidly expanding human populations have devastated gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) and common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) habitats in East and West Africa, the relatively intact forests of western equatorial Africa have been viewed as the last stronghold of African apes. Gabon and the Republic of Congo alone are thought to hold roughly 80% of the worlds gorillas and most of the common chimpanzees. Here we present survey results conservatively indicating that ape populations in Gabon declined by more than half between 1983 and 2000. The primary cause of the decline in ape numbers during this period was commercial hunting, facilitated by the rapid expansion of mechanized logging. Furthermore, Ebola haemorrhagic fever is currently spreading through ape populations in Gabon and Congo and now rivals hunting as a threat to apes. Gorillas and common chimpanzees should be elevated immediately to ‘critically endangered’ status. Without aggressive investments in law enforcement, protected area management and Ebola prevention, the next decade will see our closest relatives pushed to the brink of extinction.

The role of Pleistocene refugia and rivers in shaping gorilla genetic diversity in central Africa

The role of Pleistocene forest refugia and rivers in the evolutionary diversification of tropical biota has been the subject of considerable debate. A range-wide analysis of gorilla mitochondrial and nuclear variation was used to test the potential role of both refugia and rivers in shaping genetic diversity in current populations. Results reveal strong patterns of regional differentiation that are consistent with refugial hypotheses for central Africa. Four major mitochondrial haplogroups are evident with the greatest divergence between eastern (A, B) and western (C, D) gorillas. Coalescent simulations reject a model of recent east–west separation during the last glacial maximum but are consistent with a divergence time within the Pleistocene. Microsatellite data also support a similar regional pattern of population genetic structure. Signatures of demographic expansion were detected in eastern lowland (B) and Gabon/Congo (D3) mitochondrial haplogroups and are consistent with a history of postglacial expansion from formerly isolated refugia. Although most mitochondrial haplogroups are regionally defined, limited admixture is evident between neighboring haplogroups. Mantel tests reveal a significant isolation-by-distance effect among western lowland gorilla populations. However, mitochondrial genetic distances also correlate with the distance required to circumnavigate intervening rivers, indicating a possible role for rivers in partitioning gorilla genetic diversity. Comparative data are needed to evaluate the importance of both mechanisms of vicariance in other African rainforest taxa.

Biodiversity and conservation genetics research in Central Africa: new approaches and avenues for international collaboration

A five-day international workshop was recently convened at the Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku in Gabon to enhance international collaboration among Central African, US and European scientists, conservation professionals and policy makers. The overall aims of the workshop were to: (1) discuss emerging priorities in biodiversity and conservation genetics research across Central Africa, and (2) create new networking opportunities among workshop participants. Here we provide a brief overview of the meeting, outline the major recommendations that emerged from it, and provide information on new networking opportunities through the meeting web site.

Livestock movement and emerging zoonotic disease outbreaks: applying ecological, network, and sociocultural theories to assess the risk of Middle East respiratory syndrome from camel trade in Ethiopia and Egypt

Abstract Background Emerging infectious diseases are associated with complex linkages within the broader ecosystem. Studying infectious disease among hosts (animals and humans), outside of the context of their environment, ignores the complexity in which hosts interact. We aimed to formulate a framework to study the effect of large livestock movement on the ecology of emerging zoonotic infectious disease in low-income and middle-income countries. Ultimately such a framework could identify points of intervention in livestock movement chains to reduce the risk of emerging diseases. As a test case, we use camel movement and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Methods We reviewed grey and peer-reviewed literature on camel husbandry and interviewed key stakeholders in Egypt and Ethiopia involved in public health research, animal husbandry, the camel trade, veterinary services for camels, and physicians. A multidisciplinary team consisting of wildlife biologists, anthropologists, epidemiologists, veterinarians, geographers, modellers, virologists, and health-care professionals from the USA, Egypt, and Ethiopia was assembled to propose the framework. Findings A framework has been developed which highlights the associations between the complex linkages within the broader ecosystem: environment (flora, climate, pollution), animals (distribution and density of animals, interaction between humans, domesticated and wildlife animals), and human behavioural systems (socio-cultural and economic structures around animal husbandry and hunting, connectivity including market trade systems). Interpretation While there is an emphasis on interdisciplinary cooperation in the area of one health, this type of work has several challenges. A history of interdisciplinary work in zoonotic infectious disease is limited, in part, because of the lack of undergraduate and graduate curricula that provide training. Additionally the large teams required to conduct truly interdisciplinary work require sustained funding and such opportunities are rare. Funding None.