DNA barcoding of selected Congolese vertebrates

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Category: 
Flagship project
Acronym: 
BarCoVer
Coordinator: 
Erik Verheyen (RBINS)
JEMU partner: 
JEMU team
Project summary: 
BarCoVer (for BARcoding COngolese VERtebrates) is conducting a DNA barcoding program on selected vertebrate groups from the Congo Basin: birds, fishes, and mammals (primates, Bovidae and rodents). It is based on the zoological collections of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) and the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA). This is the first flagship project of the Joint Experimental Molecular Unit (JEMU).
Collaborations: 
BarCoVer is a collaborative project between 14 institutional partners and other collaborators in Belgium, France, USA and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. See below for the complete list of collaborators.
Lab work progress: 
Lab work is completed: 1123 fish specimens processed (including 124 Synodontis specimens) and 894 COI sequences produced; 970 bird specimens representing ca. 230 species processed; ca. 350 mammal specimens sequenced (123 cob, 13 COI and 9 PRLR, 10 SPTBN, 5 PTPN12 from duikers, 60 specimens of cusimanse representing 4 species, 122 specimens of rodent representing ca. 30 species and 50 specimens of guenon, in collaboration with Dr. Guschansky in the framework of Synthesis, 15-25th of February 2010).
Data analysis: 
Completed
Starting date: 
2008
Project status: 
Completed

Output:

New species: One antelope species new to science: Philantomba walteri.

Award: Antelope species (Philantomba walteri) in the top 10 species of 2010.

Peer-reviewed papers

  • Sonet, G. , Snoeks, J. , Nagy, Z. T., Vreven, E. , Boden, G. , Breman, F. C., Decru, E. , Hanssens, M. , Ibala Zamba, A. , Jordaens, K. , Mamonekene, V. , Musschoot, T. , Van Houdt, J. , Van Steenberge, M. , Wamuini, S. L. and Verheyen, E. 2018. DNA barcoding fishes from the Congo and the Lower Guinean provinces: assembling a reference library for poorly inventoried fauna. Mol Ecol Resour. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/1755-0998.12983
  • Jordaens, K., Breman, F.C., Sonet, G., Nagy, Z.T. & Louette, M. 2015. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene reveals phylogeographic structure in the African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro (Accipitridae). – Ostrich 86: 261-266.
  • Breman, F.C., Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Nagy, Z.T., Van Houdt, J. & Louette, M. 2013. DNA barcoding and evolutionary relationships in Accipiter Brisson, 1760 (Aves, Falconiformes: Accipitridae) with a focus on African and Eurasian representatives. – Journal of Ornithology 154: 265-287.
  • Louette, M., Herremans, M., Nagy, Z.T., René de Roland, L.-A., Jordaens, K., Van Houdt, J., Sonet, G. & Breman, F.C. 2011. The Frances’ Sparrowhawk Accipiter francesiae (Aves: Accipitridae) radiation on the Comoro islands. – Bonner zoologische Monographien 57: 133-143.
  • Sonet G., Van Houdt J., Nagy Z.T., Breman F.C., Louette M. & Verheyen E. 2011. Applicability of DNA barcoding to museum specimens of birds from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. – Bonner zoologische Monographien 57: 117-131.
  • Craig, A.J.F.K, Hasson, M., Jordaens, K., Breman F.C. & M. Louette, M. 2011. Range extension of the Lufira Masked Weaver Ploceus ruweti, endemic to Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. – Ostrich 82 (1): 77-78.
  • Nagy, Z.T., Chifundera Kusamba, Z., Gembu Tungaluna, G.-C., Lotana Lokasola, A., Kolby, J., & Kielgast, J. 2011. Foraging acrobatics of Toxicodryas blandingii in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. – Herpetology Notes 4: 91-92.Philantomba walteri
  • Colyn, M., Hulselmans, J., Sonet, G., Oude, P., De Winter, J., Natta, A., Nagy, Z.T. & Verheyen, E. 2010. Discovery of a new duiker species (Bovidae: Cephalophinae) from the Dahomey Gap, West Africa . Zootaxa 2637: 1-30.
  • Ntie, S., Johnston, A.R., Mickala, P., Bowkett, A.E., Jansen van Vuuren, B., Colyn, M., Telfer, P., Maisels, F., Hymas, O., Rouyer, R.L., Wallace, R.A., LeBlanc, K., van Vliet, N., Sonet, G., Verheyen, E., Pires, D., Wickings, E.J., Lahm, S.A. & Anthony, N.M. 2010. A molecular diagnostic for identifying central African forest artiodactyls from faecal pellets. – Animal Conservation 13: 80-93.
  • Breman, F.C., Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Van Houdt, J., Nagy, ZT. & Louette, M. 2010. Preliminary molecular systematics of the African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro (Daudin, 1800). – Journal of Afrotropical Zoology Special Issue 101-102.
  • Sonet, G., Breman, F.C., Jordaens, K., Lenglet, G., Louette, M., Montanes, G., Nagy, ZT., Van Houdt, J. & Verheyen, E. 2010. Do birds from The Democratic Republic of Congo present in museum collections contain useful genetic information? – Journal of Afrotropical Zoology Special Issue 117-118.
  • Breman, F.C., Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Van Houdt, J., Nagy, Z.T. & Louette, M. 2010. Preliminary molecular systematics of the African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro (Daudin, 1800) – Açoreana Suplemento 7: 241-291

Abstracts

  • BREMAN, F. C., JORDAENS, K., SONET, G., NAGY, Z. T., VAN HOUDT, J. & LOUETTE, M. (2012) DNA barcoding and evolutionary relationships in Accipiter Brisson, 1760 (Aves, Falconiformes: Accipitridae) with a focus on African and Eurasian representatives in Program and abstracts book of the Third European Conference for the Barcode of Life, Brussels, Belgium,17-20 September 2012 (poster nr. 6, p. 11).
  • VERHEYEN, E., VREVEN, E., NAGY, Z. T., SONET, G., BREMAN, F., JORDAENS, K., VAN HOUDT, J., HANSSENS, M., MIZANI, C. D. & SNOEKS, J. (2012) The reliability of DNA barcoding in Congolese fish through the comparison of two independently generated data sets in Program and abstracts book of the Third European Conference for the Barcode of Life, Brussels, Belgium, 17-20 September 2012 (p. 71).
  • BREMAN, F., SONET, G., NAGY, Z., LENGLET, G., JORDAENS, K. & LOUETTE, M. (2011) DNA barcoding in European and African Accipiter (Accipitridae: Falconiformes). Fourth International Barcode of Life Conference, Adelaide, Australia, 28 November – 3 December 2011 & 18th Benelux Congress of Zoology, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2-4 November 2011.
  • BREMAN, F., SONET, G., NAGY, Z., JORDAENS, K., VAN HOUDT, J., HANSSENS, M., VREVEN, E., SNOEKS, J. & VERHEYEN, E. (2010) DNA barcoding as identification tool in Congolese freshwater fishes. ECBOL2: European DNA barcoding Conference, Braga, Portugal, 2-4 June 2010.
  • BREMAN, F.C., VAN HOUDT, J., SONET, G., REYGEL, A. & LOUETTE, M. (2009). Investigating species boundaries in the Accipiter tachiro/toussenelii complex. 6th International Meeting of European Bird Curators, Tervuren, Belgium, 27-28 August 2009.
  • BREMAN, F.C., VAN HOUDT, J., SONET, G., REYGEL, A. VERHEYEN, E. & LOUETTE, M. (2009) DNA barcoding European Accipiter and their African relatives. 16th Benelux Congress of Zoology, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 28-30 October 2009.
  • LOUETTE, M. HERREMANS, M., SONET, G., BREMAN, F.B. & VAN HOUDT, J. (2009) The Accipiter francesiae radiation on the Comoro Islands. Abstract book of the 6th International Tropical Zoology Symposium (3-8 May 2009, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany), p. 47.
  • NAGY, Z. T., VREVEN, E., HANSSENS, M., SNOEKS, J., MIZANI, C. D. & VERHEYEN, E. (2009) Phylogeny, phylogeography and DNA barcoding of Central African Synodontis species (Siluriformes:Mochokidae). Abstract book of the 6th International Tropical Zoology Symposium (3-8 May 2009, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany), p. 54.
  • SONET, G., BREMAN, F.B., LENGLET, G., LOUETTE, M., MONTANES, G., NAGY, Z.T., VAN HOUDT, J. & VERHEYEN, E. (2009) Do Congolese birds in museum collections contain useful genetic information?, 6th International Meeting of European Bird Curators – Tervuren
  • SONET, G., BREMAN, F.B., LENGLET, G., LOUETTE, M., MONTANES, G., NAGY, Z.T., VAN HOUDT, J. & VERHEYEN, E. (2009) DNA barcoding of Congolese birds from museum collections, Abstract book of the 6th International Tropical Zoology Symposium (3-8 May 2009, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany), p. 76.
  • VAN HOUDT, J., BREMAN, F.C., SONET, G., REYGEL, A. & LOUETTE, M. (2009) DNA Barcoding of European Accipiter and their African relatives, 7th Conference of the European Ornithologists Union, (21-26 Augustus 2009, University of Zurich, Switzerland).
  • VERHEYEN, E., BREMAN, F.B., HANSSENS, M., NAGY, Z. T., SONET, G., VAN HOUDT, J., VREVEN, E., MIZANI, C. D., PATO, U. A. & SNOEKS, J. (2009) A DNA barcode assisted survey of the Congolese freshwater fish diversity. Abstract book of the 6th International Tropical Zoology Symposium (3-8 May 2009, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany), p. 82.
  • NAGY, Z.T., VREVEN, E., HANSSENS, M., SNOEKS, J., DANADU MIZANI, C. & VERHEYEN, E. (2008) Phylogeography of squeaker catfishes (Synodontis) in the Congo region and the use of DNA barcoding for species identification. Abstract book of the 15th Benelux Congress of Zoology (30-31 October 2008, University of Liège), p. 107.
  • SONET, G., NAGY, Z.T., VERHEYEN, E., WENDELEN, W. & COLYN, M. (2008) First genetic identification of cusimanses (Mammalia: Herpestidae: Crossarchus) based on intra- and interspecific variability of archival mitochondrial DNA. Abstract book of the 15th Benelux Congress of Zoology (30-31 October 2008, University of Liège), p. 122.
  • VERHEYEN, E., BREMAN, F., HANSSENS, M., NAGY, Z.T., SONET, G., VAN HOUDT, J., VREVEN, E., DANADU MIZANI, C. & SNOEKS, J. (2008) DNA barcoding of freshwater fish collections from the Congo region. Abstract book of the 15th Benelux Congress of Zoology (30-31 October 2008, University of Liège), p. 130.
  • VERHEYEN, E., BREMAN, F., HANSSENS, M., NAGY, Z.T., SONET, G., VAN HOUDT, J., VREVEN, E., DANADU MIZANI, C. & SNOEKS, J. (2008) DNA barcoding of Congolese freshwater fish collections. PAFFA meeting.

Complete list of collaborators

File attachments: 
Office presentation icon DNA barcoding and phylogeny reconstruction Accipiter_RMCA_0.ppt
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith