UNIVERSITY AWARD
Research Output Prize 2023-24
“The approach highlights the power of genomic approaches in characterising trade dynamics at a high spatial resolution. Given the importance of wildlife trade for a broad diversity of species worldwide, applying these tools to different cases has the potential for informing management and enforcement, resulting in considerable advancement of conservation efforts.”
Professor Timothy Carlton BONEBRAKE
Professor
School of Biological Sciences
The international trade of pangolin products has resulted in the endangerment of all species of pangolin globally. As this trade is illegal and underground, knowledge of its dynamics has remained largely hidden. Studies have quantified the size of seizures in the past, but the actual origin of the animals was unknown.
Professor Timothy Bonebrake worked with collaborators at UCLA (led by Professor Thomas Smith) and collaborators across Asia and Africa to map the genetic diversity of white-bellied pangolins (Phataginus tricuspis) across their distribution in Central and West Africa. Then, working with partners in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Government and Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden), the researchers analysed the genetic identities of scales seized by law enforcement and were able to match them to estimated origins from Africa. To do this, the team analysed genomic diversity and identified specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that could be used to estimate spatial origins. Sequencing over 600 scales seized in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2018, they discovered that the pangolins were sourced from across their distribution. However, many of the seizures originated from Nigeria – suggesting that the country is a hub, but not necessarily the source, for pangolins on the continent. They also found that sourcing changed over time, with greater sourcing from West Africa early in the study period (~2012) versus later in the study period, when most pangolins came from Central Africa (~2018).
Details of the journal paper:'Genomic analyses reveal poaching hotspots and illegal trade in pangolins from Africa to Asia', Tinsman, Jen C., Gruppi, Cristian, Bossu, Christen M., Prigge, Tracey-Leigh*, Harrigan, Ryan J., Zaunbrecher, Virginia, Koepfli, Klaus-Peter, LeBreton, Matthew, Njabo, Kevin, Cheng, Wenda*, Xing, Shuang*, Abernethy, Katharine, Ades, Gary, Akeredolu, Excellence, Andrew, Imuzei B., Barrett, Taneisha A.*, Bernáthová, Iva, Bolfíková, Barbora Černá, Diffo, Joseph L., Fopa, Ghislain Difouo, Ebong, Lionel Esong, Godwill, Ichu, Koumba Pambo, Aurélie Flore, Labuschagne, Kim, Mbekem, Julius Nwobegahay, Momboua, Brice R., Mousset Moumbolou, Carla L., Ntie, Stephan, Rose-Jeffreys, Elizabeth, Simo, Franklin T., Sundar, Keerthana, Swiacká, Markéta, Takuo, Jean Michel, Talla, Valery N. K., Tamoufe, Ubald, Dingle, Caroline*, Ruegg, Kristen, Bonebrake, Timothy C.*, Smith, Thomas B. (2023), Science, 382(6676), 1282-1286.