Stanton, DWG;
Hart, J;
Kümpel, NF;
Vosper, A;
Nixon, S;
Bruford, MW;
Ewen, JG;
(2015)
Enhancing knowledge of an endangered and elusive species, the okapi, using non-invasive genetic techniques.
Journal of Zoology
, 295
(4)
pp. 233-242.
10.1111/jzo.12205.
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Abstract
The okapi Okapia johnstoni is an endangered, even-toed ungulate in the family Giraffidae, and is endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Okapi are highly elusive and very little is known about their behaviour and ecology in the wild. We used non-invasive genetic methods to examine the social structure, mating system and dispersal for a population of okapi in the Réserve de Faune à Okapis, DRC. Okapi individuals were found to be solitary, but genetically polygamous or promiscuous. There was no evidence for any close spatial association between large groups of related or unrelated okapi for either sex, but we did find evidence for male-biased dispersal. An isolation by distance pattern of genetic similarity was present, but appears to be operating just below the spatial scale of the area investigated in the present study. We describe how the analyses used here can infer aspects of behavioural ecology and discuss the strengths and limitations of these analyses. We therefore provide a guide for future studies using non-invasive genetics to investigate behavioural ecology of rare, elusive animals. This study furthers scientific knowledge about a species that has recently been recognized by the IUCN as endangered, and is a potentially important flagship species for Central Africa.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Enhancing knowledge of an endangered and elusive species, the okapi, using non-invasive genetic techniques |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/jzo.12205 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12205 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Stanton, DWG; Hart, J; Kümpel, NF; Vosper, A; Nixon, S; Bruford, MW; Ewen, JG; (2015) Enhancing knowledge of an endangered and elusive species, the okapi, using non-invasive genetic techniques. Journal of Zoology , 295 (4) pp. 233-242, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12205. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1538946 |
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