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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of a wild bull elephant from a native KZN population, providing valuable genetic data beyond existing zoo based or outdated sequences.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:
Tracheophyta
Estimated genome size:
1.5 Billion DNA base pairs
Organism size:
3-10 m
Distribution:
The Blinkblaar-wag-’n bietjie also known as the buffalo thorn is found throughout the summer rainfall regions of sub Saharan Africa. It thrives in temperate and tropical climates, particularly in areas with thorny vegetation. This versatile tree occupies diverse habitats and its presence often indicates underground water sources.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
82.39 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
5.37 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
310.61 Mb
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99%
Ziziphus mucronata
Blinkblaar-wag-’n-bietjie
Importance:
Buffalo thorn's flowers, leaves and berries are used as foodsources by bees, various bird species, and wild and domestic animals. Humans have used the berries to make porridge, coffee substitute and beer. The different tissues are important to treat a range of medical conditions such as pain, respiratory issues, skin infections and snake bites in East Africa. It also plays an important role in cultural activities such as burial rites and the wood is very useful as a timber source.
Sample Contributor contact details
Ernst Van Jaarsveld,
University of Western Cape | Babylonstoren
Date Published
2024-9-13
Photo credit:
© H. de Lange
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