Open AccessGenetic diversity of N orth A merican captive‐born gorillas ( G orilla gorilla gorilla )
Author(s) -
Simons Noah D.,
Wagner Ronald S.,
Lorenz Joseph G.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.422
Subject(s) - gorilla , biology , genetic diversity , population , zoology , endangered species , population bottleneck , captivity , microsatellite , evolutionary biology , ecology , allele , genetics , habitat , demography , paleontology , sociology , gene
Western lowland gorillas ( G orilla gorilla gorilla ) are designated as critically endangered and wild populations are dramatically declining as a result of habitat destruction, fragmentation, diseases (e.g., E bola) and the illegal bushmeat trade. As wild populations continue to decline, the genetic management of the N orth A merican captive western lowland gorilla population will be an important component of the long‐term conservation of the species. We genotyped 26 individuals from the N orth A merican captive gorilla collection at 11 autosomal microsatellite loci in order to compare levels of genetic diversity to wild populations, investigate genetic signatures of a population bottleneck and identify the genetic structure of the captive‐born population. Captive gorillas had significantly higher levels of allelic diversity ( t 7 = 4.49, P = 0.002) and heterozygosity ( t 7 = 4.15, P = 0.004) than comparative wild populations, yet the population has lost significant allelic diversity while in captivity when compared to founders ( t 7 = 2.44, P = 0.04). Analyses suggested no genetic evidence for a population bottleneck of the captive population. Genetic structure results supported the management of N orth A merican captive gorillas as a single population. Our results highlight the utility of genetic management approaches for endangered nonhuman primate species.