Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania
The genus Connochaetes, Lichtenstein, 1814, contains two extant species, the blue wildebeest (C. taurinus, Burchell, 1823) and the black wildebeest (C. gnou, Zimmermann, 1780). In recent years, forced sympatry in confined areas within South Africa has led to interbreeding between these taxa and to...
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| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2010-11-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
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| Online Access: | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10103 |
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| author | Rebecca Ackermann James Brink Savvas Vrahimis Bonita de Klerk |
| author_facet | Rebecca Ackermann James Brink Savvas Vrahimis Bonita de Klerk |
| author_sort | Rebecca Ackermann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The genus Connochaetes, Lichtenstein, 1814, contains two extant species, the blue wildebeest (C. taurinus, Burchell, 1823) and the black wildebeest (C. gnou, Zimmermann, 1780). In recent years, forced sympatry in confined areas within South Africa has led to interbreeding between these taxa and to fertile hybrid offspring. Here we report on a series of cranial characteristics of a hybrid wildebeest population culled at Spioenkop Dam Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Dental, sutural and horn morphological anomalies occur at high frequency within these animals. Similar cranial morphological anomalies have been shown in other mammalian hybrids and this study provides further evidence that such anomalies may characterise hybridisation more broadly across phylogenetically divergent mammalian groups, although the anomalies appear to differ in their expression across taxa. An increased ability to identify hybrids may also have important applications in the conservation of the endemic black wildebeest. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1dad415c935144f5bb4cd4584d83282b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-11-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-1dad415c935144f5bb4cd4584d83282b2025-08-20T02:25:59ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892010-11-0110611/125 pages5 pages8305Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian craniaRebecca Ackermann0James Brink1Savvas Vrahimis2Bonita de Klerk3University of Cape TownNational Museum, BloemfonteinTourism & Environmental Affairs, BloemfonteinUniversity of the WitwatersrandThe genus Connochaetes, Lichtenstein, 1814, contains two extant species, the blue wildebeest (C. taurinus, Burchell, 1823) and the black wildebeest (C. gnou, Zimmermann, 1780). In recent years, forced sympatry in confined areas within South Africa has led to interbreeding between these taxa and to fertile hybrid offspring. Here we report on a series of cranial characteristics of a hybrid wildebeest population culled at Spioenkop Dam Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Dental, sutural and horn morphological anomalies occur at high frequency within these animals. Similar cranial morphological anomalies have been shown in other mammalian hybrids and this study provides further evidence that such anomalies may characterise hybridisation more broadly across phylogenetically divergent mammalian groups, although the anomalies appear to differ in their expression across taxa. An increased ability to identify hybrids may also have important applications in the conservation of the endemic black wildebeest.https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10103connochaetesconservationcranial anomaliesdental anomaliesgene flowhybridisationsouth africa |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca Ackermann James Brink Savvas Vrahimis Bonita de Klerk Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania South African Journal of Science connochaetes conservation cranial anomalies dental anomalies gene flow hybridisation south africa |
| title | Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania |
| title_full | Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania |
| title_fullStr | Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania |
| title_short | Hybrid wildebeest (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania |
| title_sort | hybrid wildebeest artiodactyla bovidae provide further evidence for shared signatures of admixture in mammalian crania |
| topic | connochaetes conservation cranial anomalies dental anomalies gene flow hybridisation south africa |
| url | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10103 |
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