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Molecular diversity of entodiniomorphid ciliate Troglodytella abrassarti and its coevolution with chimpanzees
Author(s) -
Vallo Peter,
Petrželková Klára J.,
Profousová Ilona,
Petrášová Jana,
Pomajbíková Katerina,
Leendertz Fabian,
Hashimoto Chie,
Simmons Nicol,
Babweteera Fred,
Machanda Zarin,
Piel Alexander,
Robbins Martha M.,
Boesch Christophe,
Sanz Crickette,
Morgan David,
Sommer Volker,
Furuichi Takeshi,
Fujita Shiho,
Matsuzawa Tetsuro,
Kaur Taranjit,
Huffman Michael A.,
Modrý David
Publication year - 2012
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.22067
Subject(s) - biology , evolutionary biology , coevolution , population , ancestor , zoology , geography , demography , sociology , archaeology
The entodiniomorphid ciliate Troglodytella abrassarti is a colonic mutualist of great apes. Its host specificity makes it a suitable model for studies of primate evolution. We explored molecular diversity of T. abrassarti with regard to large geographical distribution and taxonomic diversity of its most common host, the chimpanzee. We found a very low diversification of T. abrassarti in chimpanzees across Africa. Distribution of two types of T. abrassarti supports evolutionary separation of the Western chimpanzee, P. t. verus , from populations in Central and East Africa. Type I T. abrassarti is probably a derived form, which corresponds with the Central African origin of chimpanzees and a founder event leading to P. t. verus . Exclusivity of the respective types of T. abrassarti to Western and Central/Eastern chimpanzees corroborates the difference found between an introduced population of presumed Western chimpanzees on Rubondo Island and an autochthonous population in mainland Tanzania. The identity of T. abrassarti from Nigerian P. t. ellioti and Central African chimpanzees suggests their close evolutionary relationship. Although this contrasts with published mtDNA data, it corroborates current opinion on the exclusive position of P. t. verus within the chimpanzee phylogeny. The type of T. abrassarti occurring in Central and East African common chimpanzee was confirmed also in bonobos. This may point to the presence of an ancestral Type II found throughout the Lower Guinean rainforest dating back to the common Pan ancestor. Alternatively, the molecular uniformity of T. abrassarti may imply a historical overlap of the species' distribution ranges. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.