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Group:

Insect

Estimated genome size:

Its body is about 16-21 mm, and its probiscis (tongue) is 20-47mm long.

Size:

Its body is about 16-21 mm, and its probiscis (tongue) is 20-47mm long.

Distribution:

Its range is in south western Africa, specifically extreme southwestern Namibia through the western part of Northern Cape Province in South Africa (Namaqualand), and into the northwestern portion of the Western Cape Province. Key areas of high diversity include the Kamieskroon area of Namaqualand and the Pakhuis Mountains in the Western Cape.

PromethION Sequencing Report:

Output:

34.81 Gigabases

Approximate N50:

1.09 kilobases

Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:

Genome Length:

0.56 Gigabases

BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):

99.0% [S: 94.7%, D: 4.2%]

Importance:

The Long-tongued fly is important ecologically. It is a keystone pollinator for a whole guild of long-tubed, vividly colored flowers. Through its specialized morphology and behavior, it facilitates efficient and species-specific pollination, supports plant biodiversity, and likely drives co-evolution in its plant partners.

Sample Contributor contact details:

Simon Van Noort
Iziko Museums of South Africa

Group:

Mammal

Genome size:

4 340 million DNA base pairs (4.34 Gigabases)

Size:

3 – 4 meters

Distribution:

Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

PromethION Sequencing Report:

Output:

110.47 Gigabases

Approximate N50:

8.38 kilobases

Assembly N50:

TBA

Contig number:

TBA

Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:

Assembler used:

TBA

Genome Length:

3.16 Gigabases

BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):

98.8% [S: 82.7%, D: 15.3%]

BUSCO database:

TBA

Loxodonta africana

African savanna elephant

Species Card Details

Importance:

African savanna elephants are the largest land animals and crucial ecosystem engineers. Listed as endangered by the IUCN Red list, they are vital for South African tourism. This project aims to sequence the genome of a wild bull elephant from a native KZN population, providing valuable genetic data beyond existing zoo based or outdated sequences.

Sample Contributor contact details:

Dr Carel J. Oosthuizen
University of Pretoria

Date Published:

2025-02-17

Awaiting DOI

Photo credit:

© R. Moolman

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