Faunal turnover between east and southern African terrestrial vertebrates: is Malawi the geographical break?
Doctoral Thesis
2014
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
The study centred on the investigation of phylogeographic structure within three forest associated bird species and two small mammal species, as well as two woodland associated bird species distributed across the Malawi Rift of Africa. The key objective was to investigate the extent to which geographically structured lineages exist within several bird (Stripe-cheeked Greenbul Andropadus milanjensis, Malawi Batis Batis dimorpha, Bar-throated Apalis Apalis thoracica, Southern Puffback Dryoscopus cubla and White-browed Robin- chat Cossypha heuglini) and small mammal species (Delectable Soft-furred Mouse Praomys delectorum and Dark-coloured Brush-furred Rat Lophuromys aquilus) distributed across the Malawi Rift. Analyses of a combination of mtDNA (1041 bp ND2 in birds, and 1130-1143 bp Cytochrome-b and 461-466 bp control region in mammals) and nDNA (463-481 bp CHDZ, 569-572 MUSK and 594 bp TGFb2 in birds, and Beta-Fibrinogen intron- 7 in small mammals) revealed significant population structure in each of the five forest associated species studied. In contrast, woodland associated birds exhibited reduced spatial genetic structure across the Malawi Rift. Collectively the result suggest that phylogeographic breaks for forest associated species occur in the southern highlands separating Mount Namuli in Mozambique and Mount Mulanje as well as between Mount Mulanje and Mount Zomba in Malawi; in the central highlands that split Malawi into two halves, and within the northern highlands separating the Misuku Hills and Nyika Plateau. The Misuku Hills are also separated from the Udzungwa Mountains of the Eastern Arc and volcanic Mount Rungwe in Tanzania. Genetic differences exhibited by the taxa investigated across the phylogeographic breaks and degree of lineage turnover revealed in the small mammals support observations by Vrba (1985) based on fossil mammal assemblages that Malawi may be geographically key to understanding faunal turnover between southern and east African animal taxa. The detected phylogeographic breaks primarily occur in forest reserves that are not adequately protected with the exception of Nyika National Park. Illegal logging and uncontrolled fires are threatening the montane ‘sky islands’ population, thus compromising the conservation of the fauna and important evolutionary distinct units.
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Reference:
Kaliba, P. 2014. Faunal turnover between east and southern African terrestrial vertebrates: is Malawi the geographical break?. University of Cape Town.