DNA Reveals the Last 20 Ethiopian Lions Are Genetically Distinct

Every day 20 unusual lions greet visitors at a tiny animal park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. These lions, which have spent generations in captivity, are not like most African lions ( Panthera leo leo ). For one thing, they are slightly smaller than the wild lions found elsewhere on the continent. For another, the males carry distinctive black manes that extend from their shoulders to their stomachs and are much darker than those sported by other lions. And finally, new research reveals that these rare lions also have unique DNA, although not enough to declare them a separate species or subspecies."I think they are genetically distinct enough to justify conservation efforts," says Michael Hofreiter , professor of evolutionary biology and ecology at the University of York in England and one of the authors of a study about the Ethiopian lions' DNA that was published in the October European Journal of Wildlife Research . The research team came to its conclusions after running DNA tests on 15 of the zoo's 20 lions, which revealed that the lions possess both microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA that is distinct from other African lions. (Because the five remaining lions were all juvenile progeny of the others, they were not tested.) [More]