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Group:
Reptile
Estimated genome size:
17 cm maximum (total body length).
Size:
17 cm maximum (total body length).
Distribution:
It is found in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Western Cape and Northern Cape
provinces of South Africa.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
89.36 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
6.51 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
4.53 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.6% [Single: 50.6%, Duplicated: 49%]
Importance:
The greater padloper tortoise is endemic to South Africa and contributes to ecosystem stability in the Karoo. As the largest species in the genus Homopus, it is of scientific interest for studies of limb development, as it is one of only two Homopus species with four digits on each foot.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Zhongning Zhao
University of the Free State
Group:
Eudicot
Estimated genome size:
Size:
5 - 10m tall, but
occasionally up to 20m tall
and 22m wide.
Distribution:
Ficus craterostoma has two African populations, a western lowland and an eastern Afromontane form, each pollinated by different fig wasps, suggesting possible divergence. In eastern South Africa, it occurs in fragmented forests from the Great Kei River to the Soutpansberg.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
62.29 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
13.73 kilobases
Assembly N50:
261.17 kilobases
Contig number:
6 021
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
Flye
Genome Length:
0.42 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
98.4% [S: 90.1%, D: 8.2%]
BUSCO database:
viridiplantae
Ficus craterostoma
Strangler fig
Importance:
Ficus craterostoma occurs in Afromontane forests and along the South African coast, where it serves as an important year round food source for frugivores. Although gene flow occurs between most forest populations, some forests in northern KwaZulu-Natal are genetically isolated despite the absence of physical barriers. The assembled genome will provide a valuable resource for investigating the causes of this isolation and informing conservation strategies for the species.
Date Published:
2026-06-05
Photo credit:
© T. van der Merwe
Flora
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