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Phylum:
Chordata
Estimated genome size:
3 – 4 meters
Organism 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
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
3.16 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
98.8% [S: 82.7%, D: 15.3%]
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of a wild bull elephant from a native KZN population, providing valuable genetic data beyond existing zoo based or outdated sequences.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
Phylum:
Magnoliophyta
Estimated genome size:
739 million DNA base pairs (0.74 Gigabases)
Organism size:
2 meters in height
Distribution:
Native to South Africa, bird of paradise plants occurs naturally in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. It grows along riverbanks and in coastal thickets.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
43.63 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
7.69 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
597.23 million bases (0.60 Gigabases)
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.3% [S: 57.3%, D: 42.0%]
Strelitzia reginae
Bird of paradise

Importance:
The crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is one of South Africa's most iconic flowering plants. As an evergreen perennial with striking orange and blue flowers it is highly sought after for gardens and the cut flower market and, therefore, widely cultivated for its aesthetic appeal.
Sample Contributor contact details
Prof. Eshchar Mizrachi
University of Pretoria
Date Published
2025-02-17
Photo credit:
© Neoneo
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