Madisha M Thabang, Dalton Desire L, Jansen Raymond, Kotze Antoinette
National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag 680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
Primates. 2018 Mar;59(2):197-207. doi: 10.1007/s10329-017-0636-5. Epub 2017 Oct 27.
The endemic Samango monkey subspecies (Cercopithecus albogularis labiatus) inhabits small discontinuous Afromontane forest patches in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal midlands and southern Mpumalanga Provinces in South Africa. The subspecies is affected by restricted migration between forest patches which may impact on gene flow resulting in inbreeding and possible localized extinction. Current consensus, based on habitat quality, is that C. a. labiatus can be considered as endangered as the small forest patches they inhabit may not be large enough to sustain them. The aim of this study was to conduct a molecular genetic investigation to determine if the observed isolation has affected the genetic variability of the subspecies. A total of 65 Samango monkeys (including juveniles, subadults and adults) were sampled from two localities within the Hogsback area in the Amathole Mountains. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA variation was assessed using 17 microsatellite markers and by sequencing the hypervariable 1 region (HVR1). Microsatellite data generated was used to determine population structure, genetic diversity and the extent of inbreeding. Sequences of the HVR1 were used to infer individual origins, haplotype sharing and haplotype diversity. No negative genetic factors associated with isolation such as inbreeding were detected in the two groups and gene flow between groups can be regarded as fairly high primarily as a result of male migration. This was in contrast to the low nuclear genetic diversity observed (H = 0.45). A further reduction in heterozygosity may lead to inbreeding and reduced offspring fitness. Translocations and establishment of habitat corridors between forest patches are some of the recommendations that have emerged from this study which will increase long-term population viability of the subspecies.
地方性的桑曼戈猴亚种（Cercopithecus albogularis labiatus）栖息在南非东开普省、夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省中部和姆普马兰加省南部的小型不连续山地森林斑块中。该亚种受到森林斑块间有限迁移的影响，这可能会影响基因流动，导致近亲繁殖和可能的局部灭绝。基于栖息地质量的当前共识是，由于它们所栖息的小型森林斑块可能不够大，无法维持其生存，C. a. labiatus可被视为濒危物种。本研究的目的是进行分子遗传学调查，以确定观察到的隔离是否影响了该亚种的遗传变异性。从阿马托勒山脉霍克斯巴克地区的两个地点共采集了65只桑曼戈猴（包括幼猴、亚成体和成年猴）。使用17个微卫星标记并通过对高变1区（HVR1）进行测序来评估核DNA和线粒体DNA的变异。所产生的微卫星数据用于确定种群结构、遗传多样性和近亲繁殖程度。HVR1的序列用于推断个体起源、单倍型共享和单倍型多样性。在这两组中未检测到与隔离相关的负面遗传因素，如近亲繁殖，并且两组之间的基因流动可被视为相当高，这主要是由于雄性迁移的结果。这与观察到的低核遗传多样性（H = 0.45）形成对比。杂合性的进一步降低可能会导致近亲繁殖并降低后代的适应性。本研究提出的一些建议包括在森林斑块之间进行迁移和建立栖息地走廊，这将提高该亚种的长期种群生存能力。
