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Patterns of genetic variability in the serum proteins of the Kenyan vervet monkey ( Cercopithecus aethiops )
Author(s) -
Dracopoli N. C.,
Brett F. L.,
Turner T. R.,
Jolly C. J.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330610105
Subject(s) - cercopithecus aethiops , vervet monkey , kenya , african green monkey , biology , zoology , virology , ecology , virus
An electrophoretic survey of 13 serum proteins was carried out on samples drawn from 340 vervet monkeys ( Cercopithecus aethiops ) living in 30 troops from four different localities in central and southern Kenya. The proportion of polymorphic loci is 0.17 and the average heterozygosity is 0.05. The group specific component, prealbumin carboxylesterase, and transferrin are all polymorphic. The analysis of the patterns of gene diversity show that a large part of the genic variation exists within individual troops and among neighboring troops from the same trapping locality. Only a small proportion of the overall genetic variability occurs between the populations at the different trapping localities which are separated by between 80 and 380 km. The migration of young males from their natal troops is a likely mechanism of gene flow among the vervet populations. Gene flow appears to be sufficient to prevent high levels of geographic variation in the gene frequencies at these loci, but is insufficient to prevent the occasional fixation of alleles in some local populations.