Assessing introgressive hybridization in roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus): Lessons from South Africa

Abstract

Biological diversity is being lost at unprecedented rates, with admixture and introgression presenting major threats to species’ conservation. To this end, our ability to accurately identify introgression is critical to manage species, obtain insights into evolutionary processes, and ultimately contribute to the Aichi Targets developed under the Convention on Biological Diversity. A case in hand concerns roan antelope, one of Africa’s most iconic large mammal species. Despite their large size, these antelope are sensitive to habitat disturbance and interspecific competition, leading to the species being listed as Least Concern but with decreasing population trends, and as extinct over parts of its range. Molecular research identified the presence of two evolutionary significant units across their sub-Saharan range, corresponding to a West African lineage and a second larger group which includes animals from East, Central and Southern Africa. Within South Africa, one of the remaining bastions with increasing population sizes, there are a number of West African roan antelope populations on private farms, and concerns are that these animals hybridize with roan that naturally occur in the southern African region. We used a suite of 27 microsatellite markers to conduct admixture analysis. Our results unequivocally indicate evidence of hybridization, with our developed tests able to accurately identify F1, F2 and non-admixed individuals at threshold values of qi = 0.20 and qi = 0.15, although further backcrosses were not always detectable. Our study is the first to confirm ongoing hybridization in this iconic African antelope, and we provide recommendations for the future conservation and management of this species.