Population Genetics and Molecular Evolution of Higher Primate mtDNA

高等灵长类 mtDNA 的群体遗传学和分子进化

• 批准号: 9121236
• 负责人: Don Melnick
• 金额: $ 26.28万
• 依托单位: Columbia University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1992
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1992-07-01 至 1996-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9121236&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Population; Genetics; Molecular; Evolution; Higher

The primary goal of this project is to determine how reliably mtDNA can be used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of higher primates (monkeys, apes and humans). The use of mtDNA to study higher primate evolution rests on three critical assumptions: (1) that we know the rate at which the mtDNA of two species diverge from one another; (2) that this rate is constant over time and across different groups of species; and (3) that within a species, individuals have mtDNA that is more or less the same. The PI has begun to test these assumptions on a number of Asian macaque monkey species and has found (1) large mtDNA differences between members of the same species, (2) rates of mtDNA divergence that vastly exceed the accepted rate of change, and (3) divergence rates that vary among populations or species. These findings suggest serious problems with the use of mtDNA to reconstruct evolutionary relationships and date evolutionary events. Macaque monkey females never leave the group they are born in; the results may be related to this sedentary behavior. Therefore, the extent to which the problems already identified will be found in apes and humans is unclear. The PI proposes to investigate this by extending research to other macaque species and by performing similar sets of tests on the Asian leaf monkeys, whose females do not necessarily stay in their original group. This research will provide the first comprehensive assessment of the dynamics of mtDNA evolution in the higher primates. Such information will ultimately lead to a better understanding of the evolutionary history of humans and their closest relatives.

该项目的主要目标是确定如何可靠地使用 mtDNA 来重建高等灵长类动物（猴子、猿和人类）的进化史。 使用线粒体DNA来研究高等灵长类动物的进化取决于三个关键假设：（1）我们知道两个物种的线粒体DNA彼此分化的速度； (2) 随着时间的推移以及不同物种群体的变化，这个比率是恒定的； (3)在一个物种内，个体的线粒体DNA或多或少是相同的。 PI 已开始在一些亚洲猕猴物种上测试这些假设，并发现 (1) 同一物种成员之间存在巨大的 mtDNA 差异，(2) mtDNA 分化率大大超过可接受的变化率，以及 (3) 种群或物种之间的分化率有所不同。 这些发现表明，使用线粒体 DNA 来重建进化关系和确定进化事件的年代存在严重问题。 雌性猕猴永远不会离开它们出生的群体。 结果可能与这种久坐行为有关。 因此，已经确定的问题在猿类和人类身上的存​​在程度尚不清楚。 项目负责人建议通过将研究扩展到其他猕猴物种并对亚洲叶猴进行类似的测试来调查这一问题，亚洲叶猴的雌性不一定留在原来的群体中。 这项研究将首次对高等灵长类动物线粒体 DNA 进化动态进行全面评估。 这些信息最终将有助于更好地了解人类及其近亲的进化史。