Data from: A genome-wide data assessment of the African lion (Panthera leo) population genetic structure and diversity in Tanzania

The African lion (Panthera leo), listed as a vulnerable species on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Appendix II of CITES), is mainly
impacted by indiscriminate killing and prey base depletion. Additionally,
habitat loss by land degradation and conversion has led to the isolation
of some subpopulations, potentially decreasing gene flow and increasing
inbreeding depression risks. Genetic drift resulting from weakened
connectivity between strongholds can affect the genetic health of the
species. In the present study, we investigated the evolutionary history of
the species at different spatiotemporal scales. Therefore, the
mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (N = 128), 11 microsatellites (N = 103)
and 9,103 SNPs (N = 66) were investigated in the present study, including
a large sampling from Tanzania, which hosts the largest lion population
among all African lion range countries. Our results add support that the
species is structured into two lineages at the continental scale
(West-Central vs East-Southern), underlining the importance of reviewing
the taxonomic status of the African lion. Moreover, SNPs led to the
identification of three lion clusters in Tanzania, whose geographical
distributions are in the northern, southern and western regions.
Furthermore, Tanzanian lion populations were shown to display good levels
of genetic diversity with limited signs of inbreeding. However, their
population sizes seem to have gradually decreased in recent decades. The
highlighted Tanzanian African lion population genetic differentiation
appears to have resulted from the combined effects of anthropogenic
pressure and environmental/climatic factors, as further discussed.