Data from: The elephants of Gash-Barka, Eritrea: nuclear and mitochondrial genetic patterns

Eritrea has one of the northernmost populations of African elephants. Only
about 100 elephants persist in the Gash-Barka administrative zone.
Elephants in Eritrea have become completely isolated, with no gene flow
from other elephant populations. The conservation of Eritrean elephants
would benefit from an understanding of their genetic affinities to
elephants elsewhere on the continent and the degree to which genetic
variation persists in the population. Using dung samples from Eritrean
elephants, we examined 18 species-diagnostic single nucleotide
polymorphisms in 3 nuclear genes, sequences of mitochondrial HVR1 and ND5,
and genotyped 11 microsatellite loci. The sampled Eritrean elephants
carried nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers establishing them as savanna
elephants, with closer genetic affinity to Eastern than to North Central
savanna elephant populations, and contrary to speculation by some scholars
that forest elephants were found in Eritrea. Mitochondrial DNA diversity
was relatively low, with 2 haplotypes unique to Eritrea predominating.
Microsatellite genotypes could only be determined for a small number of
elephants but suggested that the population suffers from low genetic
diversity. Conservation efforts should aim to protect Eritrean elephants
and their habitat in the short run, with restoration of habitat
connectivity and genetic diversity as long-term goals.