Kenya & Tanzania’s Rail Race Targets Africa's Trade through Uganda, Rwanda, DRC

Good news especially for some of the landlocked countries of east Africa!

(474) Kenya & Tanzania’s Rail Race Targets Africa's Trade through Uganda, Rwanda, DRC | Firstpost Africa - YouTube

Rwanda’s exports surge thanks to China’s zero-tariff policies

Good news!

Remains of Tanzanian agricultural student Joshua Loitu Mollel identified as Hamas hostage returned Wednesday night

Again, another reminder that not all civilians killed and taken hostage by the coward killers and monsters of Hamas were Israelis!

"... Following his abduction, for weeks, his family and Israeli NGO Hotline for Refugees and Migrants (HRM) searched for information. On December 13, 2023, Israel’s Foreign Ministry informed his father, Loitu Mollel, that Joshua had been murdered and that his body was being held by Hamas.

Soon after, graphic videos showing Joshua’s abduction and murder circulated widely on social media - published by Israeli media and official accounts without the family’s consent. His relatives learned of his death from these videos, causing deep trauma.

On December 24, Joshua’s father and nephew traveled to Israel, where they met with government officials, visited Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and attended a memorial ceremony in his honor. ..."

Remains of hostage Joshua Loitu Mollel returned | The Jerusalem Post "The Prime Minister's Office expressed that it shared in the sorrow of Mollel's family."

Who was Joshua Mollel, Tanzanian agricultural student abducted by Hamas? - explainer "Joshua Mollel, a Tanzanian intern at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, was tragically killed in the Hamas attack. Friends remember him as brave and hopeful."

Historic Towns of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara, Tanzania | Africa’s Cultural Landmarks

Recommendable!

How ‘supergenes’ help fish evolve into new species

Amazing stuff!

"... Cichlid fish from Lake Malawi [fourth largest freshwater lake in the world] in East Africa offer a clue. In this single lake, over 800 different species have evolved from a common ancestor in a fraction of the time it took for humans and chimpanzees to evolve from their common ancestor.

What’s even more remarkable is that the diversification of cichlids happened all in the same body of water. Some of these fish became large predators, others adapted to eat algae, sift through sand, or feed on plankton. Each species found its own ecological niche. ...

The researchers looked at the DNA of over 1,300 cichlids to see if there’s something special about their genes that might explain this rapid evolution. “We discovered that, in some species, large chunks of DNA on five chromosomes are flipped – a type of mutation called a chromosomal inversion,”  ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Chromosomal inversions have been found to be important for adaptation. These structural variants suppress recombination, allowing groups of variants to be transmitted together. Blumer et al. sequenced 1375 genomes from 240 species of Lake Malawi cichlids, a clade of fish hallmarked by their extremely species-rich adaptive radiations in several African lakes. The authors found multiple segregating inversions in these populations, as well as genomic signatures showing that these regions had been used repeatedly in adaptation throughout these species. Some of these inversions seem to primarily include genes related to sensory tissues, and two were linked to sex determination. ...

Structured Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Ecological speciation is responsible for much of the biodiversity on our planet. Despite its fundamental importance, this process, in which new species emerge through evolutionary adaptation to distinct ecological niches, is still not fully understood. Intriguing case studies are adaptive radiations, bursts of ecological speciation that give rise to large numbers of diverse species over timescales that are short compared with the fixation time for new genetic variants. Genome sequencing studies increasingly point towards the importance of hybridization and cross-species gene flow in producing the diversity needed for ecological speciation and adaptive radiation. However, a major conundrum is the role of meiotic recombination in this process. On the one hand, recombination can create new, beneficial combinations of genetic alleles. On the other, it breaks down co-adapted allelic combinations, impeding speciation.

RATIONALE

Chromosomal inversions, stretches of DNA that are flipped in their orientation, provide a potential solution to the conflicting roles of recombination in ecological speciation. This is because inversions show suppressed recombination with the original chromosomal orientation, enabling them to lock together adaptive combinations of alleles in so-called “supergenes.” Inversions have been found to be important in ecological adaptation and speciation in many groups of organisms, but so far, there has been little evidence for their significance in adaptive radiations. To address this gap, we systematically investigated the presence and role of inversions across the lake Malawi cichlid fish adaptive radiation, the largest recent vertebrate radiation.

RESULTS

The genomes of 1375 Malawi cichlids from 240 species revealed the presence of multiple chromosomal inversions.

The five largest of these segregate within the diverse and species-rich benthic subradiation, with a strong association between inversion states and habitat depth. Phylogenetic tracking of inversion states revealed a hybrid origin of the benthic clade, along with several introgression events transporting inversions and other genetic material between lineages within and outside of the radiation.

Inversion haplotypes showed strong signals of adaptive evolution, including being enriched for sensory functions, behavior, and reproduction.

For three chromosomes, the re-introgression of haplotypes of the ancestral orientation into benthic lineages coincides with an apparent Y chromosome–like role of this haplotype in the sex determination of some benthic species but not others.

CONCLUSION

The spread of chromosome-scale inversions in Malawi cichlids coincided with the phenotypic and ecological diversification of benthic species across habitats, with evidence for a role of inversion haplotypes in ecological adaptation. The additional transient sex linkage of introgressed inversion-region haplotypes points to an interplay of sex-linked and natural selection in shaping the evolution of inversion haplotypes and the diversification of cichlids."

How ‘supergenes’ help fish evolve into new species | University of Cambridge "Researchers have found that chunks of ‘flipped’ DNA can help fish quickly adapt to new habitats and evolve into new species, acting as evolutionary ‘superchargers’."

Introgression dynamics of sex-linked chromosomal inversions shape the Malawi cichlid radiation

Five large chromosomal inversions contribute to the diversification of Malawi cichlids.

Hero rat sets Guinness World Record for detecting landmines

Amazing stuff! More rats please!

How many trained rats will be needed for the Ukraine?

"Meet Ronin. Ronin has detected 109 landmines and 15 items of unexploded ordnance since 2021. That’s according to both APOPO, the charity that trained the African giant pouched rat, and the Guinness Book of World Records, which declared Ronin the new record holder. He’s currently working in Preah Vihear Province in Cambodia, one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.  ..."

Hero rat sets Guinness World Record for detecting landmines "We salute Ronin, who has sniffed out 109 landmines and 15 other kinds of unexploded ordinance."

APOPO (Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development organisation)

Ronin the rat, at work in Cambodia.

Tanzania Cut Maternal Mortality by 80 Percent in Seven Years, a model for Africa

Good news!

"Tanzania has reduced maternal mortality by 80% in a seven-year period, from 556 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016 to 104 per 100,000 in 2022.

The success is attributable to increased political commitment, an increased number of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn care (EmONC) facilities, a growing health workforce, a strengthened obstetric referral network, capacity building, mentorship, and the conduct of Maternal and Perinatal Death Reviews and Surveillance at all levels. ...

Africa accounted for 69% of global maternal deaths in 2020. Nevertheless, universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services in sub-Saharan Africa stands at just 28%. The major complications, which account for almost 75% of all maternal deaths, include obstetric haemorrhage, infection, and high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia). ..."

Tanzania’s Success to Reduce Maternal Mortality Ushers in a Model for Africa

Credits: Tanzania Cut Maternal Mortality by 80 Percent in Seven Years - Human Progress

Tanzania becomes Africa's second-largest maize producer after South Africa

Good news, but government subsidies for fertilizer might be too high!

Tanzania Electric Train Launch Revolutionizes Rail Transport In East Africa

Good news! Turkey and China were heavily involved in the construction!

China, Tanzania launch Dar es Salaam midwifery training center to reduce infant mortality rates

Good news!

Chinese firm inks deal to construct 390-meter Tanzanian bridge

Good news! This is just the latest of several large infrastructure projects by China in this country!

African Aviation Revolution Begins with Tanzanian Made Planes

Good news! 

Singeli: The World's Most Frenetic Beat from Tanzania

Recommendable! At 250 beats per minute!

TANZANIA: 7 Most Unique African Traditional Dances

Enjoy!

Tanzania partners with China to build country's first fishing port

Good news!

US Wins Deals in Tanzania & Ghana: Should Russia & China be Worried? with Palki Sharma

Recommendable!

Tanzania's new SGR [standard gauge railway] set to revolutionize cargo handling

Good news!

Tanzania's Richest Man Wants To Be Africa's Biggest Farmer in Tanzania

Recommendable! Bold business plans! Could be a game changer!

Tanzanian youth turn to motorbike taxis for income

Recommendable! Where there is demand there is business as long as government regulations are not oppressive like in Tanzania! Motorcycle  vendors are happy.

India's Prime Minister Modi Plays Drums in Tanzania

I could not believe it! Awesome!