Non-invasive genomic sampling uncovers novel connectivities and origins of confiscated gorillas
Abstract
Background: Gorillas are a group of African great apes with two species and four subspecies that are currently critically endangered or endangered. Previous studies analyzing the genetics of wild gorillas from non-invasive samples such as faeces or hair have analysed short mitochondrial or nuclear markers, which may not reflect the wider nuclear genome. Recent technical advances in target capture hybridisation, enrich the endogenous DNA content of non-invasive samples, allowing contiguous genomic regions to be sequenced.
Results: Here, we generate georeferenced genetic dataset from faecal and hair samples of 280 wild gorillas, sampled from three of the four gorilla subspecies, across large parts of their present-day distributions. With this expanded representation of gorilla genetic diversity in the wild, we detect three population clusters in western lowland gorillas, with the Sangha River and its affluents acting as significant barriers to gene flow. We reconstruct patterns of past population connectivity between western lowland gorillas in the north-eastern distribution range and Cross River gorillas, which may have been facilitated by a migration corridor also used by the Central and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee subspecies. Finally, we predict the geographic origins of wild-born gorillas, achieving a mean prediction error of 65 km, with a population-level resolution for mountain gorillas and some populations of western lowland gorillas.
Conclusion: Our work characterises fine-scale population structure in western lowland gorillas, which will be informative for future conservation strategies. This proof-of-concept in predicting geographic locations of wild gorillas, will be useful for future applications to geolocalise trafficked or rescued gorillas.
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BibTeX
@article{ruizgartzia2026noninvasive,
title = {{Non-invasive genomic sampling uncovers novel connectivities and origins of confiscated gorillas}},
author = {Irune Ruiz-Gartzia and Harvinder Pawar and Marina Alvarez-Estape and Joseph D. Orkin and Pol Alentorn-Moron and Sandra Ruibal-Puertas and Harrison J. Ostridge and Claudia Fontsere and Sebastian Cuadros-Espinoza and Kirsten Gilardi and Julius Nziza and Richard Muvunyi and Ulrich Maloueki and Damien Caillaud and Neetha Iyer and Urban Ngobobo-As-Ibungu and Escobar Binyinyi and Etienne François Akomo-Okoue and Augustin K. Basabose and Kamungu Sebulimbwa and Alfred Ngomanda and Juichi Yamagiwa and Miho Inoue-Murayama and Yuji Takenoshita and Shiho Fujita and Barbora Pafco and Terence Fuh and Nikki Tagg and Donald Mbohli and Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin and Emma Bailey and Mattia Bessone and Tobias Deschner and Paula Dieguez and Emmanuel Dilambaka and Andrew Dunn and Anne-Celine Granjon and Josephine Head and Veerle Hermans and Inaoyom Imong and Kathryn J. Jeffery and Kevin Lee and Giovanna Maretti and David Morgan and Emily Neil and Christopher Orbell and Martha M. Robbins and Crickette Sanz and Nadege Wange Njomen and Jacob Willie and Ndelani Nkalla Lambi and Barthélémy Ngoubangoye and Larson Boundenga and Franck Prugnolle and Olivia Cheronet and Ron Pinhasi and Ivo Glynne Gut and Marta Gut and Karine A. Viaud-Martinez and Virginie Rougeron},
journal = {Genome Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s13059-026-04305-6},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13059-026-04305-6},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Non-invasive genomic sampling uncovers novel connectivities and origins of confiscated gorillas
AU - Irune Ruiz-Gartzia
AU - Harvinder Pawar
AU - Marina Alvarez-Estape
AU - Joseph D. Orkin
AU - Pol Alentorn-Moron
AU - Sandra Ruibal-Puertas
AU - Harrison J. Ostridge
AU - Claudia Fontsere
AU - Sebastian Cuadros-Espinoza
AU - Kirsten Gilardi
AU - Julius Nziza
AU - Richard Muvunyi
AU - Ulrich Maloueki
AU - Damien Caillaud
AU - Neetha Iyer
AU - Urban Ngobobo-As-Ibungu
AU - Escobar Binyinyi
AU - Etienne François Akomo-Okoue
AU - Augustin K. Basabose
AU - Kamungu Sebulimbwa
AU - Alfred Ngomanda
AU - Juichi Yamagiwa
AU - Miho Inoue-Murayama
AU - Yuji Takenoshita
AU - Shiho Fujita
AU - Barbora Pafco
AU - Terence Fuh
AU - Nikki Tagg
AU - Donald Mbohli
AU - Emmanuel Ayuk Ayimisin
AU - Emma Bailey
AU - Mattia Bessone
AU - Tobias Deschner
AU - Paula Dieguez
AU - Emmanuel Dilambaka
AU - Andrew Dunn
AU - Anne-Celine Granjon
AU - Josephine Head
AU - Veerle Hermans
AU - Inaoyom Imong
AU - Kathryn J. Jeffery
AU - Kevin Lee
AU - Giovanna Maretti
AU - David Morgan
AU - Emily Neil
AU - Christopher Orbell
AU - Martha M. Robbins
AU - Crickette Sanz
AU - Nadege Wange Njomen
AU - Jacob Willie
AU - Ndelani Nkalla Lambi
AU - Barthélémy Ngoubangoye
AU - Larson Boundenga
AU - Franck Prugnolle
AU - Olivia Cheronet
AU - Ron Pinhasi
AU - Ivo Glynne Gut
AU - Marta Gut
AU - Karine A. Viaud-Martinez
AU - Virginie Rougeron
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Genome Biology
DO - 10.1186/s13059-026-04305-6
UR - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13059-026-04305-6
AB - Background: Gorillas are a group of African great apes with two species and four subspecies that are currently critically endangered or endangered. Previous studies analyzing the genetics of wild gorillas from non-invasive samples such as faeces or hair have analysed short mitochondrial or nuclear markers, which may not reflect the wider nuclear genome. Recent technical advances in target capture hybridisation, enrich the endogenous DNA content of non-invasive samples, allowing contiguous genomic regions to be sequenced. Results: Here, we generate georeferenced genetic dataset from faecal and hair samples of 280 wild gorillas, sampled from three of the four gorilla subspecies, across large parts of their present-day distributions. With this expanded representation of gorilla genetic diversity in the wild, we detect three population clusters in western lowland gorillas, with the Sangha River and its affluents acting as significant barriers to gene flow. We reconstruct patterns of past population connectivity between western lowland gorillas in the north-eastern distribution range and Cross River gorillas, which may have been facilitated by a migration corridor also used by the Central and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee subspecies. Finally, we predict the geographic origins of wild-born gorillas, achieving a mean prediction error of 65 km, with a population-level resolution for mountain gorillas and some populations of western lowland gorillas. Conclusion: Our work characterises fine-scale population structure in western lowland gorillas, which will be informative for future conservation strategies. This proof-of-concept in predicting geographic locations of wild gorillas, will be useful for future applications to geolocalise trafficked or rescued gorillas.
SN - 1474-760X
ER -