POPULATION GENOMICS AND THE VIABILITY OF THE ENDANGERED SANJE MANGABEY (CERCOCEBUS SANJEI)IN THE UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS, TANZANIA

这个博士项目将首次研究濒危的Sanje mangabey的种群基因组多样性和结构，使用产生的数据来参数化种群生存能力分析模型，并为这种濒危和高度本地化的灵长类动物的管理计划做出贡献。作为一个iCASE奖，学生将在卡迪夫大学，在生物科学学院的生物和环境部，并在布里斯托尔动物园，保护科学和研究小组（BZG），其中非学术主管，博士GrainneMcCabe最近加入了领导。这将是一个真正的多学科项目，利用核心科学为东非剩余森林地区日益受到威胁的旗舰分类群制定国家和区域生物多样性行动计划提供信息和便利。该项目涉及创新性地使用种群基因组学（从粪便中捕获基因组宿主DNA），包括全基因组单核苷酸多态性数据的生物信息学分析，以阐明坦桑尼亚Sanje mangabeys最后两个种群之间的种群水平基因组多样性和差异。基因组学在自然保护中的应用近来受到了广泛的关注（例如Shafer等人，2015年，TREE 30：78），其中学术导师作为最近成立的自然保护联盟保护遗传学专家组的共同主席，因此，拟议的奖学金将作为一个模型，其中全基因组多样性（而不是使用少数遗传标记的DNA分析）将被应用于保护优先级，学生将在国际公认的实验室在这一研究领域处于领先地位。除了基因组学分析，该项目还将使用遗传和人口统计数据对该物种进行种群生存能力评估（PVA），目的是提出有针对性的保护行动。该学生将被嵌入BZG的坦桑尼亚计划，不仅将开展与该项目相关的大部分实地工作，而且还将与非学术主管合作，帮助制定该地区森林灵长类动物的物种特异性和区域范围的保护管理计划。这将为未来在保护环境中的应用提供高度相关的技能。

This PhD project will examine the population genomic diversity and structure of the endangered Sanje mangabeyfor the first time, use the data produced to parameterise models for population viability analysis and contributeto a management plan for this endangered and highly localised primate. As an iCASE award, the student will bebased at Cardiff University, in the Organisms and Environment Division of the School of Biosciences, and at BristolZoo Gardens, Conservation Science and Research group (BZG), which the non-academic supervisor, Dr GrainneMcCabe has recently joined to head up.This will be a truly multidisciplinary project, using core science to inform and facilitate the development of anational and regional biodiversity action plan for an increasingly threatened group of flagship taxa for eastAfrica's remaining forested areas. The project involves innovative use of population genomics (genomic host DNAcapture from fecal material), including bioinformatics analysis of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphismdata to elucidate population-level genomic diversity and differentiation between the last two populations ofSanje mangabeys in Tanzania. The application of genomics to conservation has recently received a lot ofattention (eg Shafer et al 2015, TREE 30: 78), in which the academic supervisor as co-Chair of the recentlyestablished IUCN specialist group in Conservation Genetics, has been active.The proposed studentship will therefore act as a model in which genome-wide diversity (as opposed to DNAprofiling using a handful of genetic markers) will be applied to conservation prioritisation, and the student will bebased in a laboratory internationally recognised to be leading in this area of research. In addition to the genomicsanalysis, the project will use both genetic and demographic data to carry out a population viability assessment(PVA) for the species with the aim of proposing targeted conservation actions.The student will be embedded within BZG's Tanzania program and will be not only carrying out much of the fieldwork associated with the project but will also, in collaboration with the non-academic supervisor, help developboth a species-specific and region-wide conservation management plan for forest primates in the region. This willprovide highly relevant skills for future application within a conservation context.