Researchers identify new species of endangered baobab tree in Madagascar

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have identified a new species of baobab tree, Adansonia bozy, found exclusively in Madagascar, according to a study published in the journal Taxon.

The tree was previously classified as part of the species Adansonia za. While the two species appear similar, genetic analysis revealed that the northern populations of A. za are more closely related to other northern Malagasy baobab species rather than A. bozy.

This discovery is expected to influence conservation efforts on the island. Because A. bozy is believed to be endangered, its formal identification may help secure conservation funding that is typically prioritized for officially recognized threatened species. Additionally, the reclassification of A. bozy affects the understood population and conservation status of A. za, which is now recognized as a smaller species than previously documented.

The research was led by Nisa Karimi, a former PhD student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in collaboration with UW–Madison’s David Baum and researchers from the Missouri Botanical Garden and Iowa State University.

Collecting the necessary tissue samples required navigating remote regions of Madagascar. Researchers noted that identifying the trees by their leaves alone is often unreliable, meaning the species must be identified by its flowers. Because the blooms only open at night and are often located more than 100 feet up in the canopy, the team had to use specialized climbing rigs to reach them.

In the laboratory, the researchers had to overcome technical difficulties during DNA extraction. The plant tissues were rich in polysaccharides, creating a slimy substrate that risked fragmenting the DNA strands. After developing a method to obtain high-quality DNA, the researchers used targeted sequence capture to identify and sequence hundreds of genes across the sampled organisms.

The study suggests that more species may be waiting to be discovered in Madagascar’s remote areas, noting that the widespread species A. rubropstipa may also require reclassification. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.