Dissertation Research: Nuclear and Mitochondrial Phylogeny of the Lesser Apes (Hylobates)

这个项目将有助于我们的知识长臂猿（较小的猿）在几个方面。 首先，将为所有的蝙蝠物种生成新的DNA序列。 这些新的序列将被用来构建长臂猿的进化树，这棵树为研究其他进化问题奠定了基础。 将使用三个独立的DNA序列数据集构建长臂猿的四个亚属和九个种的树：一个来自线粒体细胞色素氧化酶亚基II基因，一个来自X染色体上编码的葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶基因，一个来自Y染色体上编码的锌指基因。 DNA序列差异的水平也将用于评估物种和亚种相对于其他公认的灵长类动物对的分类地位。 这些数据也将用于估计长臂猿从类人猿中分裂出来的日期，以及随后的长臂猿辐射。 形态、声音和行为特征将被映射到树上，以研究特征进化的各个方面。 最后，将确定特定物种的诊断地点，这可能有助于保护工作，因为几个物种被列为濒危物种。

This project will contribute to our knowledge of gibbons (the lesser apes) in several ways. First, new DNA sequences will be generated for all of the gibbon species. These new sequences will be used to construct an evolutionary tree for the gibbons, and this tree forms a base from which to study other evolutionary questions. A tree of the four subgenera and nine species of gibbons will be constructed using three independent DNA sequence data sets: one from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene, one from the glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase gene encoded on the X chromosome, and one from the zinc finger gene encoded on the Y chromosome. Levels of DNA sequence divergence will also be used to assess taxonomic status of species and subspecies relative to other well-accepted primate pairs. These data also will be used to estimate the date of the split of gibbons from the great apes, and the subsequent gibbon radiation. Morphological, vocal, and behavioral characters will be mapped onto the tree to study aspects of character evolution. Finally, species-specific diagnostic sites will be identified, which may assist in conservation efforts since several gibbon species are classified as endangered.