Genetic structure of an isolated population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama |
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Authors: | Katharine Milton Jeffrey D Lozier Eileen A Lacey |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, 137 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA;(2) Present address: Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;(3) Museum of Vertebrate Zoology & Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA |
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Abstract: | Habitat fragmentation may influence genetic variability through reductions in population size and the physical isolation of
conspecifics. We explored the effects of these factors on genetic diversity in a population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. The study population was established in 1914 when an unknown number of resident
individuals were isolated from the surrounding mainland by damming of the Río Chagres to create the Panama Canal. Analyses
of 10 microsatellite loci indicated that, despite this isolation, the howler monkeys on BCI exhibit levels of genetic diversity
(H
S = 0.584 ± 0.063) among the highest reported for any species of Alouatta. These data also revealed that although relatedness among adults in a social group was significantly greater than zero, the
BCI population is not highly genetically structured. Tests for genetic bottlenecks based on departures from equilibrium expectations
failed to reveal evidence of a recent reduction in population size. In contrast, coalescent modeling indicated that this population
has likely experienced a marked decline within the last few 100 years. These findings generate new insights into the genetic
structure of A. palliata and suggest that while the formation of BCI may not have substantially reduced genetic variation in these animals, genetic
diversity has been influenced by historical changes in population size. |
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Keywords: | Founder effect Isolation Microsatellites Howler monkeys Alouatta palliata |
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