Dissertation Research: Evolutionary Genetics of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Nigeria and Cameroon

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Two species of African forest chimpanzees are commonly recognized, the `common` chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the pygmy chimpanzee, or bonobo (Pan paniscus). Biologists and anthropologists have traditionally regarded Pan troglodytes as having three distinct subspecies. However, a pilot involving field work in Nigeria and mitochondrial DNA analysis in the laboratory, has revealed that there may be four Pan troglodytes subspecies, and that the distribution and relationships among these subspecies are different than what is usually portrayed. This proposed research aims to extend the pilot study both by making much more extensive field collections of hairs from the sleeping nests of West African chimpanzees, and by analyzing a much wider range of mitochondrial and nuclear genes in the laboratory. The results of the research will be compared with information on the distribution and evolutionary relationships of other African forest primates with the goal of reconstructing a clearer picture of the evolutionary history of our closest relatives. The results will also be of great relevance to conservation. Chimpanzees are becoming increasingly endangered, and in planning for their conservation it is vital that genetically distinct populations are given proper attention.