Premium
Mitochondrial Diversity and Distribution of African Green Monkeys ( Chlorocebus Gray, 1870)
Author(s) -
HAUS TANJA,
AKOM EMMANUEL,
AGWANDA BERNARD,
HOFREITER MICHAEL,
ROOS CHRISTIAN,
ZINNER DIETMAR
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
american journal of primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.988
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1098-2345
pISSN - 0275-2565
DOI - 10.1002/ajp.22113
Subject(s) - biology , mitochondrial dna , clade , phylogenetics , phylogenetic tree , zoology , genetic diversity , primate , evolutionary biology , african green monkey , cytochrome b , taxon , ecology , gene , genetics , population , demography , virus , sociology
African green monkeys ( Chlorocebus ) represent a widely distributed and morphologically diverse primate genus in sub‐Saharan Africa. Little attention has been paid to their genetic diversity and phylogeny. Based on morphological data, six species are currently recognized, but their taxonomy remains disputed. Here, we aim to characterize the mitochondrial (mt) DNA diversity, biogeography and phylogeny of African green monkeys. We analyzed the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 126 samples using feces from wild individuals and material from zoo and museum specimens with clear geographical provenance, including several type specimens. We found evidence for nine major mtDNA clades that reflect geographic distributions rather than taxa, implying that the mtDNA diversity of African green monkeys does not conform to existing taxonomic classifications. Phylogenetic relationships among clades could not be resolved suggesting a rapid early divergence of lineages. Several discordances between mtDNA and phenotype indicate that hybridization may have occurred in contact zones among species, including the threatened Bale monkey ( Chlorocebus djamdjamensis ). Our results provide both valuable data on African green monkeys’ genetic diversity and evolution and a basis for further molecular studies on this genus. Am. J. Primatol. 75:350‐360, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.