Dissertation Research: Genetic Differentiation Among East African Chimpanzees Communities (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii)

本研究将探讨社会结构对当地黑猩猩种群遗传结构的影响。 遗传样本将从乌干达Kibale森林的一个经过充分研究的习惯性黑猩猩社区（Kanyawara）和其他几个邻近社区收集。 将从这些样本中提取DNA，并用于研究黑猩猩分散模式（即雄性留在它们出生的社区，雌性在达到性成熟后分散）对具有不同传播模式的三种遗传因素的影响。将比较Y染色体（通过雄性系遗传）、线粒体DNA（通过雌性系遗传）和常染色体（双亲遗传）在群落内和群落之间的变异分布，以确定它们是否符合基于扩散行为预期的模式。 此外，遗传数据将用于确定Kanyawara社区所有后代的父系，随后生成一个谱系，概述该社区所有个体之间的遗传关系。 这些信息将被用来评估不同雄性所产生的后代数量的不对称性，以及社区外的雄性繁殖后代的程度。这项研究的结果将有助于我们理解黑猩猩社会组织的进化。

This study will examine the effect of social structure on the genetic structure of local chimpanzee populations. Genetic samples will be collected from one well-studied, habituated chimpanzee community (Kanyawara) and several other neighboring communities in Kibale Forest, Uganda. DNA will be extracted from these samples and used to examine the effects of chimpanzee dispersal patterns (whereby males stay in the community in which they were born and females disperse upon reaching sexual maturity) on three genetic elements with different modes of transmission. Comparisons will be made of the distribution of variation in Y-chromosomes (inherited through the male line), mitochondrial DNA (inherited through the female line) and autosomes (inherited biparentally) both within and between communities, to determine if they conform with patterns expected based on dispersal behavior. In addition, the genetic data will be used to determine the sires of all offspring in the Kanyawara community and subsequently generate a pedigree outlining the genetic relationships between all individuals in this community. This information will be used to assess asymmetries in the number of offspring produced by different males, and the extent to which males outside the community sire offspring. The results of this study will contribute to our understanding of the evolution of social organization in chimpanzees.