Lotanna Micah Nneji

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• PhD Genetics
• Professor (Assistant) at Howard University

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought humanity’s strained relationship with nature into sharp focus, with calls for cessation of wild meat trade and consumption, to protect public health and biodiversity.¹,² However, the importance of wild meat for human nutrition, and its tele-couplings to other food production systems, mean that the complete removal...

Secondary sympatry among sister lineages is strongly associated with genetic and ecological divergence. This pattern suggests that for closely related species to coexist in secondary sympatry, they must accumulate differences in traits that mediate ecological and/or reproductive isolation. Here, we characterized inter‐ and intra‐specific divergence...

African wild suids consist of several endemic species that represent ancient members of the family Suidae and have colonized diverse habitats on the African continent. However, limited genomic resources for African wild suids hinder our understanding of their evolution and genetic diversity. In this study, we assembled high-quality genomes of a com...

Protected Areas (PAs) are the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation. Here, we collated distributional data for >14,000 (~70% of) species of amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) to perform a global assessment of the conserva- tion effectiveness of PAs using species distribution models. Our analyses reveal that >91% of herpetofauna species are c...

Aim The African Guineo‐Congolian (GC) region is a global biodiversity hotspot with high species endemism, bioclimatic heterogeneity, complex landscape features, and multiple biogeographic barriers. Bioclimatic and geographic variables influence global patterns of species richness and endemism, but their relative importance varies across taxa and re...

Examining closely related species evolving in similar environments offers valuable insights into the mechanisms driving phylogenetic conservatism and evolutionary lability. This can elucidate the intricate relationship between inheritance and environmental factors. Nonetheless, the precise genomic dynamics and molecular underpinnings of this proces...

Examining closely related species evolving in similar environments offers valuable insights into the mechanisms driving phylogenetic conservatism and evolutionary lability. This can elucidate the intricate relationship between inheritance and environmental factors. Nonetheless, the precise genomic dynamics and molecular underpinnings of this proces...

1. The coastal marine stingrays (genus Fontitrygon) include two endemic and highly threatened species (Fontitrygon margaritella and Fontitrygon margarita) from the African Gulf of Guinea. However, the lack of robust diagnostic features due to similar external features hinders species identification, thus limiting species-specific conservation effor...

Introduction The Millettioid/Phaseoloid (MP) clade of Fabaceae is globally distributed, economically important, and highly diverse, making it an attractive system for studying biogeographic and macroecological patterns at a global scale. We conducted the first global macroecological study to map and explore the environmental drivers of the MP clade...

Abstract Amphibians, particularly anurans, display an enormous variation in genome size. Due to theunavailability of whole genome datasets in the past, the genomic elements and evolutionary causes of anuran genome size variation are poorly understood. To address this, we analyzed whole-genome sequences of 14 anuran species ranging in size from 1.1...

Polymorphism of the prion protein gene (PRNP) gene determines an animal’s susceptibility to scrapie. Three polymorphisms at codons 136, 154, and 171 have been linked to classical scrapie susceptibility, although many variants of PRNP have been reported. However, no study has investigated scrapie susceptibility in Nigerian sheep from the drier agro-...

Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) is a large-body old world rodent found in sub-Saharan Africa. The body size and the unique taste of the meat of this major crop pest have made it a target of intense hunting and a potential consideration as a micro-livestock. However, there is insufficient knowledge on the genetic diversity of its populations a...

Scrapie is a fatal prion protein disease stiffly associated with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) of the prion protein gene (PRNP). The prevalence of this deadly disease has been reported in small ruminants, including goats. The Nigerian goats are hardy, trypano-tolerant, and contribute to the protein intake of the increasing population. Altho...

Cichlids are among the economically important which serve as a source of food for people ‎around the world. A deep understanding of the population structure and genetic diversity of ‎cichlids are vital for initiation of conservation policies and sustainable aquaculture. There is ‎paucity of information on the patterns of genetic variations among an...

Understanding the roles of phenotypic plasticity in adaptive evolution has gained recognition for decades. Studies involving multiple taxa have shown that gene expression plasticity serves as “long-term memory” to facilitate re-adaptations to ancestral environments. Nevertheless, the general pattern and the underlying genetic basis of expression pl...

Understanding the roles of phenotypic plasticity in adaptive evolution has gained recognition for decades. Studies involving multiple taxa have shown that gene expression plasticity serves as “long-term memory” to facilitate re-adaptations to ancestral environments. Nevertheless, the general pattern and the underlying genetic basis of expression pl...

The domestic Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) provide unique genetic resources patterned by both tropical environmental conditions and human activities, the evaluation of their genetic diversity and population structure will shade light on the mechanism of their remarkable adaptive capacities. We therefore analyzed the variation in mtDNA cytochrome...

There is a lack of comprehensive understanding of environmental factors influencing fish species’ abundance and distribution in some Nigerian freshwater ecosystems. Our study investigated the environmental factors that drive the abundance and distribution of three economically important fishes – Lates niloticus, Citharinus citharus, and Distichondu...

Information on species’ geographic distribution is essential in setting up key areas of conservation priorities and management policies. To date, there is a paucity of information on the primate species that inhabit some forest areas, including the forests along the Yewa River Basin located at the Nigeria-Benin Republic transboundary. To address th...

Conservation of amphibians relies on the knowledge of the diversity and distribution patterns. To date, there is a lack of information on the diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians in some regions of Bangladesh, particularly the Northwest and Central areas. Thus, to contribute to the present knowledge on amphibians of Bangladesh, we surv...

Montane frogs of the genus Quasipaa Dubois, 1992 occur from southern China to Southeast Asia (Frost 2021). Analyses of mtDNA (Cytb) and nuDNA data (Rag1, Rag2, Rhod, Tyr) for samples from 93 localities throughout its distribution yield a phylogeny. Clades A and B occur in Southeast Asia, clade C in northern Yangtze River, China, clade D in southwes...

The Cross River National Park (CRNP) is an essential ecological gene-pool harbouring one of the oldest tropical rainforests in Africa, and the last remaining rainforest in Nigeria.With the ongoing human-induced habitat degradation, it is critical to assess its amphibian assemblage and understand the role habitat variation plays on local species ric...

Domestication of the helmeted guinea fowl (HGF; Numida meleagris) in Africa remains elusive. Here we report a high-quality de novo genome assembly for domestic HGF generated by long and short-reads sequencing together with optical and chromatin interaction mapping. Using this assembly as the reference, we performed population genomic analyses for n...

The west African honeybee, Apis mellifera adansonii, is a subspecies of western honeybees that live in a wide range of habitats. In Nigeria, there is a lack of knowledge of its population genetics. Thus, we examined its mitochondrial genetic diversity and population structure using the subunit I of the cytochrome c oxidase gene. Our results showed...

This study was conducted to provide a checklist of amphibian species in the Idanre Forest Ecosystem (lowland - Idanre Forest Reserve and highland - Idanre Hills) based on field surveys carried out during June - July 2018. A total of 218 individuals, comprising 11 species from six genera belonging to five families, were observed. A high number of in...

Legumes (family Leguminosae) are an economically important and widely distributed species found in several regions of the world, including the Guineo-Congolian (GC) forest region. Recent studies have reported the impact of climate change on plant biodiversity. Thus, understanding the distribution pattern of the endemic legume species of the GC regi...

Accurate identification of species is a prerequisite for successful biodiversity management and further genetic studies. Species identification techniques often require both morphological diagnostics and molecular tools, such as DNA barcoding, for correct identification. In particular, the use of the subunit I of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxid...

Molecular (mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1– COI) analysis was performed to characterize the poorly known Malapterurus minjiriya from Nigerian inland water bodies. Integrative taxonomy, involving morphological and molecular data, confirms the identity of M. minjiriya. Matrilineal genealogy reveals a sister relationship of M. minjiriya w...

Guenons (tribe Cercopithecini) are the most widely distributed non-human primate in the tropical forest belt of Africa and show considerable phenotypic, taxonomic, and ecological diversity. However, genomic information for most species within this group is still lacking. Here, we present a high-quality de novo genome (total 2.90 Gb, contig N50 equa...

Despite recent anthropogenic interference, south‐eastern (SE) Nigeria historically hosts a myriad of pristine forest habitats that could sustain diverse amphibian assemblages. Currently, land conversion of primary forests through human activities has led to modified habitats, such as agricultural fields and secondary forest. This calls for biodiver...

The ichthyofauna diversity of the Jebba Hydroelectric Power (HEP) Dam, Jebba, North-central Nigeria was studied. Fishes were sampled for 24 months using gill net, hook and line, and cast net. Individuals were identified using morphological and molecular (mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I) data. A total of 9605 freshwater fishes were reco...

The silver butter catfish (Schilbe intermedius) is widely distributed across African river systems. To date, information on its mitochondrial genetic diversity, population structure, and historical demography are not well-established. Herein, we combined newly generated mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COI) subunit I gene sequences with previous...

Comprehensive biodiversity assessment of moths in Nigeria rely greatly on accurate species identification. While most of the Nigerian moths are identified effortlessly using their morphological traits, some taxa are morphologically indistinguishable, which makes it difficult for taxon diagnosis. We investigated the efficiency of the DNA barcode, a...

Sclerophrys perreti is a critically endangered Nigerian native frog currently imperilled by human activities. A better understanding of its potential distribution and habitat suitability will aid in conservation; however, such knowledge is limited for S. perreti. Herein, we used a species distribution model (SDM) approach with all known occurrence...

Adaptations to extreme environmental conditions are intriguing. Animal skin, which directly interacts with external environment, plays diverse and important roles in adaptive evolution. The thin and bare skin of amphibians is sensitive to external environmental conditions and, thus, it facilitates investigations into adaptations for living in extre...

Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP), the largest national park in Nigeria, is located within the northernmost extension of Africa’s Gulf of Guinean rain forest. Studies providing information on the diversity and distribution of herpetofauna are vital for understanding local biodiversity and influencing guidelines for conservation. Therefore, the pre...

Nigeria is an Afrotropical region with considerable ecological heterogeneity and levels of biotic endemism. Among its vertebrate fauna, reptiles have broad distributions, thus, they constitute a compelling system for assessing the impact of ecological variation and geographic isolation on species diversification. The red headed rock agama, Agama ag...

We report the first known occurrence of the Foulassi Screeching Frog, Arthroleptis adelphus (Perret, 1966), from Nigeria. A specimen of A. adelphus was collected during herpetological survey work conducted in Cross River National Park, south-eastern Nigeria. Morphometrics and mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene confirm identity of the specimen. Matrilineal...

We evaluated the effectiveness of molecular data (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I – COI and 16S ribosomal RNA – 16S) for species identification and diversity studies of Nigerian herpetofauna. We collected 189 specimens consisting of 91 amphibians and 98 reptiles from the largest and under-studied national park in Nigeria – Gashaka Gumt...

Cercopithecus erythrotis camerunensis a subspecies of Cercopithecus erythrotis, endemic primate to West Africa, is listed as a vulnerable species under the IUCN red list, due to a rapid population decline resulting from intense hunting, bushmeat trade and habitat loss. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of C. erythrotis camerunensis w...

The genus Agama is diverse and found commonly in Africa. The dearth of herpetological studies in Nigeria has limited knowledge on the genetic diversity and distribution of Agama and the matrilineal affinities within the West African (WA) radiation. This limits an understanding of the biogeography of West Africa. Thus, we collected 112 specimens of...

This study examines the utility of morphology and DNA barcoding in species identification of freshwater fishes from north-central Nigeria. We compared molecular data (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences) of 136 de novo samples from 53 morphologically identified species alongside others in GenBank and BOLD databases. Using D...

Length-weight relationship and condition factor of seven freshwater fish species from Jebba Lake (Nigeria) were investigated. A total of 576 individuals were caught with hook and line, cast and gill nets from up and downstream sections of the lake. Sampling covered dry and raining seasons spanning across April to September 2017. The growth exponent...

This study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of the combined use of earthworm (Alma millsoni) and bacterium (Bacillus sp.) in the bioremediation of spent engine oil (SEO) contaminated soils. A. millisoni were collected from the Botanical Garden of University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The stock culture of hydrocarbonoclastic Bacillus sp. was use...

Background: The history of pig populations in Africa remains controversial due to insufficient evidence from archaeological and genetic data. Previously, a Western ancestry for West African pigs was reported based on loci that are involved in the determination of coat color. We investigated the genetic diversity of Nigerian indigenous pigs (NIP) by...

Enhanced microbial bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon–contaminated (PHC) soils with the earthworm Alma millisoni and the bacterium Bacillus spp. was conducted. The petroleum-contaminated topsoils (PCTS) (0–15 cm) collected from motorcar mechanic workshops were thoroughly mixed, sieved, and air dried for 7 days. The pH, water holding capacity (...

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder with grievous pathophysiological complications which affect various parts of the body and manifesting in different ways which include acute and chronic neuropathy, nephropathy, gastropathy, retinopathy, micro and macro cardiovascular disorders and erectile dysfunction. Incidence and prevalence of diabetes m...