Abstract
BackgroundThere are three species of elephant that exist, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and two species of African elephant (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis). The populations of all three species are dwindling, and are under threat due to factors, such as habitat destruction and ivory hunting. The species differ in many respects, including in their morphology and response to disease. The availability of elephant genome sequence data from all three elephant species will complement studies of behaviour, genetic diversity, evolution and disease resistance.FindingsWe present low-coverage Illumina sequence data from two Asian elephants, representing approximately 5X and 2.5X coverage respectively. Both raw and aligned data are available, using the African elephant (L. africana) genome as a reference.ConclusionsThe data presented here are an important addition to the available genetic and genomic information on Asian and African elephants.
Highlights
There are three species of elephant that exist, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and two species of African elephant (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis)
We present whole-genome sequencing datasets from two Asian elephants (E. maximus), both of which are an important addition to the existing public data
Original purpose Two samples, 577_1_Emelia and 577_2_Raman, were originally sequenced to enable the characterisation of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) [12], which is associated with a life-threatening haemorrhagic disease in Asian elephants [6]
Summary
There are three species of elephant that exist, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and two species of African elephant (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis). Conclusions: The data presented here are an important addition to the available genetic and genomic information on Asian and African elephants. Background Three species of elephant exist, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) [1] and two species of African elephant (Loxodonta africana, Loxodonta cyclotis) [2,3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
