Dados do Trabalho

Título

Deciphering the regional phylogeography of one of the world's most endangered primates: the brown-headed spider monkey

Corpo do texto

Although the brown-headed spider monkey ([Ateles fusciceps]) is one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, we do not know the geographic limits of its subspecies and populations, increasing challenges for conservation programs. Our study seeks to identify the relationship between geography and the distribution of genetic diversity at a regional level, covering the ecuadorian and colombian western region. Also, we sought to identify possible geographic boundaries between subspecies and populations. Through non-invasive sampling, we collected feces from wild individuals for genetic analysis. Using [COII] and HV1 Dloop mitochondrial markers, we performed phylogenetic trees, haplotype networks, and AMOVAs. Our results show an influence of geography on mitochondrial evolution and the haplotype distribution of the species. We discuss the boundaries between subspecies; probably, the subspecies A. f. fusciceps, previously considered present only in Ecuador, can also be distributed in southern Colombia. We hope that our results are useful for making decisions about the management and conservation programs being developed in Ecuador and Colombia.

Financiadores

Re:wild / Primate Action Found; Wild Conservation Network; Primate Conservation, Incorporated; Universidad de los Andes

Palavras-chave

Genetics; primates; distribution