Data from: Evaluation of microsatellite markers for populations studies and forensic identification of African lions (Panthera leo)

The South African lion (Panthera leo) population is highly fragmented.
One-third of its wild lions occur in small (<1000 km2) reserves.
These lions were reintroduced from other areas of the species’ historical
range. Management practices on these reserves have not prioritized genetic
provenance or heterozygosity. These trends potentially constrain the
conservation value of these lions. To ensure the best management and
long-term survival of these subpopulations as a viable collective
population, the provenance and current genetic diversity must be
described. Concurrently, poaching of lions to supply a growing market for
lion bones in Asia may become a serious conservation challenge in the
future. Having a standardized, validated method for matching confiscated
lion parts with carcasses will be a key tool in investigating these
crimes. We evaluated 28 microsatellites in the African lion using samples
from 18 small reserves and 1 captive facility in South Africa, two
conservancies in Zimbabwe, and Kruger National and Kgalagadi Transfrontier
Parks to determine the loci most suited for population management and
forensic genetic applications. Twelve microsatellite loci with a match
probability of 1.1×10−5 between siblings were identified for forensics. A
further 10 could be added for population genetics studies.