https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2022.121

Biogeographic analysis of the composition of the mammalian fauna of Togo (West Africa)

Vol. 35 No. 3-4 (2022)
Submitted: 23 August 2022
Accepted: 6 April 2023
Published: 25 May 2023
West Africa, Dahomey Gap, ecology, distribution patterns, Mammalia, endemism
Abstract Views: 787
PDF: 298
HTML: 5
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Giovanni Amori
giovanni.amori@cnr.it
Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (CNR-IRET), Rome; Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome, Italy.
Gabriel H. Segniagbeto
Département de Zoologie et de Biologie Animale, Université de Lomé, Faculté des Sciences, BP 6057 Lomé, Togo.
Luca Luiselli
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6878-2916
Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome, Italy; Département de Zoologie et de Biologie Animale, Université de Lomé, Faculté des Sciences, BP 6057 Lomé, Togo.

The Dahomey Gap in West Africa is a human-derived savannah-like vegetation zone interspersed by patches of moist forest, with large rainforest blocks at both West (Upper Guinean Forest) and East (Lower Guinean Forest) of its limits. Togo is a tiny country situated in the middle of the Dahomey Gap. In this paper, a biogeographic analysis of the composition of the mammalian fauna of Togo is presented, by classifying each species on the basis of five distinct ecological distribution patterns. The greatest proportion of species were Pan-African (88.0%). Excluding the Pan-African species from the analysis, the mammalian fauna appeared to be affiliated similarly to both Upper Guinean and Lower Guinean Forest blocks. Only three endemic species were observed, all of them being rodents: Cryptomys zechi (Batyergidae), Funisciurus substriatus (Sciuridae), and Leimacomys buettneri (Muridae). Considering only the multispecies genera, the great majority did not show any barrier effect by the Dahomey Gap on their own species, as all of them did occur on both sides of Togo. A barrier effect by the Dahomey Gap was uncovered in 8 genera; overall, the Dahomey Gap apparently showed a barrier effect on 28.6% of the multispecies genera. It is emphasized that the full understanding of the role of the Dahomey Gap as a biogeographic barrier and of its island forests as centers of endemism is impeded by the lack of biogeographic reviews and meta-analyses on the composition of faunal and floral groups of the entire region.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
Amori G, Chiozza F, Rondinini C, Luiselli L. 2011. Country-based patterns of total species richness, endemicity, and threatened species richness in African rodents and insectivores. Biodiversity and Conservation. 20:1225–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0024-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0024-1
Amori G, Luiselli L. 2019. A scale-dependent ‘functional’ assessment of the concept of endemism. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 127:900–11. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz059 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz059
Amori G, Masciola S, Saarto J, Gippoliti S, Rondinini C, Chiozza F, Luiselli L. 2012. Spatial turnover and knowledge gap of African small mammals: using country checklists as a conservation tool. Biodiversity and Conservation. 21:1755–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-012-0275-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-012-0275-5
Amori G, Segniagbeto GH, Decher J, Assou D, Gippoliti S, Luiselli L. 2016. Non-marine mammals of Togo (West Africa): an annotated checklist. Zoosystema. 38:201–44. https://doi.org/10.5252/z2016n2a3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5252/z2016n2a3
Booth AH. 1958. The Niger, the Volta and the Dahomey Gap as geographic barriers. Evolution. 1958:48–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1958.tb02927.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1958.tb02927.x
Croizat L. 1994. Observations on the biogeography of the genus Goliathus (Insecta: Coleoptera). National Herbarium & Botanic Garden. 1994:141-55.
Demenou BB, Doucet JL, Hardy OJ. 2018. History of the fragmentation of the African rain forest in the Dahomey Gap: insight from the demographic history of Terminalia superba. Heredity. 120:547–61. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-017-0035-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-017-0035-0
Demenou BB, Piñeiro R, Hardy OJ. 2016. Origin and history of the Dahomey Gap separating West and Central African rain forests: insights from the phylogeography of the legume tree Distemonanthus benthamianus. Journal of Biogeography. 43:1020–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12688 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12688
De Palma M, Takano H, Leonard P, Bouyer T. 2020. Barcoding analysis and taxonomic revision of Goliathus Lamark, 1802 (Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae). Entomologia Africana. 25:11–32.
Ern H. 1979. Die Vegetation Togos. Gliederung, Gefährdung, Erhaltung. Willdenowia. 9:295–312.
Harold AS, Mooi RD. 1994. Areas of endemism: definition and recognition criteria. Systematic Biology. 43:261–6. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/43.2.261 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/43.2.261
Houngbédji MG, Djossa BA, Adomou AC, Dakpogan SC, Sinsin B, Mensah GA. 2012. Conservation status of the Red-bellied Guenon (Cercopithecus erythrogaster erythrogaster) in the western Dahomey Gap in southwestern Benin and the adjacent Togodo Forest Reserve, South Togo. African Primates. 7:184–92.
Kingdon J, Happold D, Butynski T, Hoffmann M, Happold M, Kalina J. (eds) 2013. Mammals of Africa (6 vols). Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK. 3500 pp.
Leaché AD, Oaks JR, Ofori-Boateng C, Fujita MK. 2020. Comparative phylogeography of West African amphibians and reptiles. Evolution. 74:716–24. doi: 10.1111/evo.13941 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13941
Leaché AD, Rödel MO, Linkem CW, Diaz RE, Hillers A, Fujita MK. 2006. Biodiversity in a forest island: reptiles and amphibians of the West African Togo Hills. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. 4:22–45.
Le Gall P. 2010. Affinités biogéographiques des Insectes du" Dahomey gap": présence d’une population de Goliathus goliatus Linné, 1771, au Bénin (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France. 115:17–21. https://doi.org/10.3406/bsef.2010.2821 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/bsef.2010.2821
Le Gall, P., Goergen, G., Neuenschwander, P. 2002. Les insectes et le sillon dahomeen: fragmentation et refuges forestiers. Biosystema. 20:73–80.
Luiselli L, Civetta F, Masciola S, Milana G, Amori G. 2012. Spatial turnover and knowledge gaps for African chelonians mirror those of African small mammals: conservation implications. Tropical Conservation Science. 5:365–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/194008291200500310 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/194008291200500310
Luiselli L, Dendi D, Eniang EA, Fakae BB, Akani GC, Fa JE. 2019. State of knowledge of research in the Guinean forests of West Africa region. Acta Oecologica. 94:3–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2017.08.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2017.08.006
Luiselli L, Dendi D, Petrozzi F, Segniagbeto GH. 2022. Lizard community structure and spatial resource use along a forest-savannah-urban habitat gradient in the Dahomey Gap (West Africa). Urban Ecosystems. 25:1015–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-022-01215-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-022-01215-w
Mallon DP, Hoffmann M, Grainger MJ, Hibert F, Van Vliet N, McGowan PJ. 2015. An IUCN situation analysis of terrestrial and freshwater fauna in West and Central Africa. Occasional paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. 54:40. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2015.SSC-OP.54.en DOI: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2015.SSC-OP.54.en
Mayr E, O'Hara RJ. 1986. The biogeographic evidence supporting the Pleistocene forest refuge hypothesis. Evolution. 40:55–67. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1986.tb05717.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1986.tb05717.x
Mead AR. 1998. A new species of Archachatina in the Dahomey Gap of West Africa and its implications in phylogeny (Pulmonata. Achatinidae). Journal of African Zoology. 112:123–45.
MEDDPN (Ministère de l’Environnement, du Développement Durable et de la Protection de la Nature). 2020. Niveau de référence des Forêts (NRF) du Togo. Rapport National RED+. 80 pp.
Morrone JJ. 1994. On the identification of areas of endemism. Systematic Biology. 43:438–41. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/43.3.438 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/43.3.438
Philips TK, Mudge AD, Orozco J, Neidlinger R, Beinhundner G, Joly C. 2022. A rich and diverse fauna: an illustrated guide to the cetoniines of Ghana with comparisons to Ivory Coast and Benin (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Zootaxa. 5150:151–88. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.5150.2.1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5150.2.1
Salzmann U, Hoelzmann P. 2005. The Dahomey Gap: an abrupt climatically induced rain forest fragmentation in West Africa during the late Holocene. The Holocene. 15:190–9. https://doi.org/10.1191/0959683605hl799rp DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/0959683605hl799rp
Segniagbeto GH, Assou D, Dendi D, Rödel MO, Ohler A, Dubois A, Luiselli L. 2017. The distribution and local density of the critically endangered frog Conraua derooi Hulselmans, 1972 in Togo, West Africa. Herpetological Bulletin. 141:23–27.
Segniagbeto GH, Bour R, Ohler A, Dubois A, Rödel MO, Trape JF, Fretey J, Petrozzi F, Luiselli L. 2014a. Turtles and tortoises of Togo: historical data, distribution, ecology, and conservation. Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 13:152–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1080.1
Segniagbeto G, Trape JF, Afiademanyo KM, Rödel MO, Ohler A, Dubois A, David P, Meirte D, Glitho IA, Petrozzi F, Luiselli L. 2015. Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation. Zoosystema. 37:381–402. https://doi.org/10.5252/z2015n2a7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5252/z2015n2a7
Segniagbeto GH, Trape JF, David P, Ohler A, Dubois A, Glitho IA. 2011. The snake fauna of Togo: systematics, distribution and biogeography, with remarks on selected taxonomic problems. Zoosystema. 33:325–60. https://doi.org/10.5252/z2011n3a4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5252/z2011n3a4
Segniagbeto GH, Van Waerebeek K, Bowessidjaou JE, Ketoh K, Kpatcha TK, Okoumassou K, Ahoedo K. 2014b. Annotated checklist and fisheries interactions of cetaceans in Togo, with evidence of Antarctic minke whale in the Gulf of Guinea. Integrative Zoology. 9:1–13. doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12011
Usher MB. 1985. The species of Henotesia Butler (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) in western West Africa. Insect Systematics & Evolution. 16:259–64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187631285X00144

How to Cite

Amori, G., Segniagbeto, G. H., & Luiselli, L. (2023). Biogeographic analysis of the composition of the mammalian fauna of Togo (West Africa). Tropical Zoology, 35(3-4). https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2022.121
Copyright (c) 2023 The Author(s) Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.