scholarly journals The Challenges and Relevance of Exploring the Genetics of North Africa’s “Barbary Lion” and the Conservation of Putative Descendants in Captivity

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon A. Black
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
North African ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
North West ◽  
West And Central Africa ◽  
African Lions

The lions of North Africa were unique in ecological terms as well as from a human cultural perspective and were the definitive lions of Roman and Medieval Europe. Labelled “Barbary” lions, they were once numerous in North Africa but were exterminated by the mid-20th century. Despite subsequent degeneration of the Atlas Mountain ecosystem through human pressures, the feasibility of lion reintroduction has been debated since the 1970s. Research on the long-established captive lion collection traditionally kept by the sultans and kings of Morocco has enabled selective breeding coordinated across Moroccan and European zoos involving a significant number of animals. Molecular genetic research has recently provided insights into lion phylogeny which, despite previous suggestions that all lions share recent common ancestry, now indicates clear distinctions between lions in North, West, and Central Africa, the Middle East, and India versus those in Southern and Eastern Africa. A review of the evolutionary relevance of North African lions highlights the important challenges and opportunities in understanding relationships between Moroccan lions, extinct North African lions, and extant lion populations in India and West and Central Africa and the potential role for lions in ecosystem recovery in those regions.

scholarly journals Gene diversity, agroecological structure and introgression patterns among village chicken populations across North, West and Central Africa

BMC Genetics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grégoire Leroy ◽  
Boniface B Kayang ◽  
Issaka AK Youssao ◽  
Chia V Yapi-Gnaoré ◽  
Richard Osei-Amponsah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Diversity ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Village Chicken ◽  
North West ◽  
West And Central Africa

scholarly journals Mitogenomes illuminate the origin and migration patterns of the indigenous people of the Canary Islands

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Fregel ◽  
Alejandra C. Ordóñez ◽  
Jonathan Santana-Cabrera ◽  
Vicente M. Cabrera ◽  
Javier Velasco-Vazquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous People ◽  
Canary Islands ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Near East ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
North African ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
And Migration

AbstractThe Canary Islands’ indigenous people have been the subject of substantial archaeological, anthropological, linguistic and genetic research pointing to a most probable North African Berber source. However, neither agreement about the exact point of origin nor a model for the indigenous colonization of the islands has been established. To shed light on these questions, we analyzed 48 ancient mitogenomes from 25 archaeological sites from the seven main islands. Most lineages observed in the ancient samples have a Mediterranean distribution, and belong to lineages associated with the Neolithic expansion in the Near East and Europe (T2c, J2a, X3a…). This phylogeographic analysis of Canarian indigenous mitogenomes, the first of its kind, shows that some lineages are restricted to Central North Africa (H1cf, J2a2d and T2c1d3), while others have a wider distribution, including both West and Central North Africa, and, in some cases, Europe and the Near East (U6a1a1, U6a7a1, U6b, X3a, U6c1). In addition, we identify four new Canarian-specific lineages (H1e1a9, H4a1e, J2a2d1a and L3b1a12) whose coalescence dates correlate with the estimated time for the colonization of the islands (1st millennia CE). Additionally, we observe an asymmetrical distribution of mtDNA haplogroups in the ancient population, with certain haplogroups appearing more frequently in the islands closer to the continent. This reinforces results based on modern mtDNA and Y-chromosome data, and archaeological evidence suggesting the existence of two distinct migrations. Comparisons between insular populations show that some populations had high genetic diversity, while others were probably affected by genetic drift and/or bottlenecks. In spite of observing interinsular differences in the survival of indigenous lineages, modern populations, with the sole exception of La Gomera, are homogenous across the islands, supporting the theory of extensive human mobility after the European conquest.

John William Colenso: Pioneer in the Quest for an Authentic African Christianity

1991 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ephraim Mosothoane
Keyword(s):  
Central Africa ◽  
First Century ◽  
African Continent ◽  
Augustine Of Hippo ◽  
North West ◽  
African Christianity ◽  
Roman World ◽  
Clement Of Alexandria ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
West And Central Africa

There are, for purposes of this paper, two remarkable facts about Christianity on the African Continent. The first is its antiquity. There seems to be every likelihood that it was as early as its very inception that Christianity, as part of its rapid sweep across the first century Graeco-Roman world, reached Africa as well. The New Testament contains a number of hints that suggest that places such as Ethiopia, Egypt (particularly Alexandria) and Cyrene could vie with each other for first position. In any case, by the second and third centuries, the African Church could boast of such great leaders and thinkers as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian; and a century later of the highly influential Augustine of Hippo. The significance and influence of these men extended well beyond Africa. After that, with the exception of Egypt and Ethiopia, there is a lacuna in our knowledge of Christianity in Africa. The next significant centuries are the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in respect of North, West and Central Africa, and the nineteenth century in respect of virtually the entire Continent. In short, Christianity is not a newcomer to the African Continent. Ups and downs of various kinds it has experienced here as it has done elsewhere; so also, in respect of a number of areas, major gaps affecting its continuous and unbroken existence down the centuries. Nevertheless, a newcomer to the Continent it is not.

scholarly journals Influence of the Foraging Activity of the Anthophilous Insects on Talinum triangulare (Waterleaf) fructification in Bafut (North West - Cameroon)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2106-2112
Author(s):  
Esther Nadine Otiobo Atibita ◽  
David Fotsing ◽  
Njoya Moses Tita Mogho ◽  
Champlain Djieto-Lordon ◽  
Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem Fohouo
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
North West ◽  
Succulent Plant ◽  
West And Central Africa ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Talinum Triangulare ◽  
Anthophilous Insects

Talinum triangulare is an herbaceous succulent plant eaten as a vegetable throughout the tropics including many countries in West and Central Africa and are an essential ingredient in traditional dishes. Experiments were made on the plant to examine the influence of foraging behavior of flowering insect on pollination and yields of this plant species in 2018 and 2019 at Bafut. Observations were made on 1615 to 4055 flowers per treatment. The treatments included unlimited floral access by visitors and bagged flowers to deny all visits. The study focused on the foraging behavior of flowering insects and their pollination activity (fruiting rate). The results show that 14 insect species visited waterleaf flowers and Camponotus flavomarginatus was the most frequent (33.20%). Insects foraged throughout the day light period. Their activity was highest between 10 am and 12 pm. Insect species foraged the flowers for pollen and nectar. The fructification rate of unrestricted floral access was significantly high than that of protected flowers to deny all visits. The maintenance of insect nest close to T. triangulare field is recommended to improve it fruits production.

scholarly journals Should seasonal rainfall forecasts be used for flood preparedness?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Coughlan de Perez ◽  
Elisabeth Stephens ◽  
Konstantinos Bischiniotis ◽  
Maarten van Aalst ◽  
Bart van den Hurk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Seasonal Rainfall ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Total Rainfall ◽  
Climate Services ◽  
West And Central Africa ◽  
Flood Preparedness ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Seasonal Rainfall Forecasts

Abstract. In light of strong encouragement for disaster managers to use climate services for flood preparation, we question whether seasonal rainfall forecasts should indeed be used as indicators of the likelihood of flooding. Here, we investigate the primary drivers of flooding at the seasonal timescale across sub-Saharan Africa. Given the sparsity of hydrological observations, we input bias-corrected reanalysis rainfall into the Global Flood Awareness System to identify seasonal indicators of floodiness. Results demonstrate that in wet climates, even a perfect tercile forecast of seasonal total rainfall would provide little to no indication of the seasonal likelihood of flooding. The number of extreme events within a season shows the highest correlations with floodiness consistently across regions. Otherwise, results vary across climate regimes: floodiness in arid regions in Southern and Eastern Africa shows the strongest correlations with seasonal average soil moisture and seasonal total rainfall. Floodiness in wetter climates of West and Central Africa and Madagascar shows the strongest relationship with measures of the intensity of seasonal rainfall. Measures of rainfall patterns, such as the length of dry spells, are least related to seasonal floodiness across the continent. Ultimately, identifying the drivers of seasonal flooding can be used to improve forecast information for flood preparedness, and avoid misleading decision-makers.

scholarly journals Role of climate and other factors in determining the dynamics of tick and tick-transmitted pathogen populations and distribution in western, central and eastern Africa.

2021 ◽  
pp. 486-491
Author(s):  
Naftaly Githaka ◽  
Esther Kanduma ◽  
Richard Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Change ◽  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Rhipicephalus Appendiculatus ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Vector Abundance ◽  
West And Central Africa ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Pathogen Populations

Abstract This expert opinion discusses the potential impact of climatic change on vector abundance, survival and transmission of tick-borne pathogens in western, central and eastern Africa. It also discusses the following cases: (1) Rhipicephalus microplus with a focus in West and Central Africa and (2) northern expansion of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus into South Sudan through anthropogenic cattle movement.

Transitions Within Queer North African Cinema

Screen Bodies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter S. Temple
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Film Festivals ◽  
Global Awareness ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
North African ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
African Cinema ◽  
Queer Cinema

In recent years, North African queer cinema has become increasingly visible both within and beyond Arabo-Orientale spaces. A number of critical factors have contributed to a global awareness of queer identities in contemporary Maghrebi cinema, including the dissemination of films through social media outlets and during international film festivals. Such tout contemporain representations of queer sexuality characterize a robust wave of films in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, inciting a new discourse on the condition of the marginalized traveler struggling to locate new forms of self and being—both at home and abroad.

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