Genetic tracing of the white-bellied pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis) trade in western central Africa

Abstract

African pangolins are intensively harvested to feed illegal trade networks. We focused on the conservation genetics of the most trafficked African species, the white-bellied pangolin (WBP; Phataginus tricuspis), through the genotyping of 562 individuals from reference populations and urban bushmeat markets in a vibrant trade hub from western Central Africa. Across Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and northern Gabon, we observed a lack of genetic differentiation and a signature of isolation-by-distance possibly due to unsuspected dispersal capacities involving a Wahlund effect. Despite a higher level of genetic diversity compared to western Africa, we detected a 74-83% decline in the effective population size of WBP during the Middle Holocene. Private allele frequency tracing approach indicated up to 600 km sourcing distance by large urban markets from Cameroon, involving transnational trade activities. The 20 microsatellites markers used in this study provided the necessary power to distinguish among all WBP individuals and should be considered a valuable resource for future forensic applications. Because lineage admixture was detected in the study area, we recommend a multi- locus approach for tracing the WBP trade. The Yaounde market was a major recruiter of genetic diversity in the region, and should receive urgent conservation action to mitigate the pangolin trade.