DDI--Molecular systematics of red colobus monkeys (Procolobus: Primates, Cercopithecidae)

红疣猴（Colobus monkeys，Colobinae亚科，Procolobus属，Piliocolobus亚属）分布在赤道非洲，有超过14种不同的形式，并显示出复杂的变异模式。它们目前是非洲最濒危的灵长类动物之一，它们的分类仍然是非洲灵长类动物分类学中存在时间最长的问题之一。利用分子生物学技术，本研究将建立红疣猴的系统发育和分类，代表迄今为止对非洲叶猴最全面的分子研究。具体而言，本研究有以下目标：1）建立红疣猴种群之间的关系，2）开发一个分类，准确地反映了组内的多样性，3）提供分布信息的红疣猴种群，和4）进一步我们的知识colobine进化历史。从博物馆收集的粪便、组织和许多红疣猴种群的毛发样本已经收集，并将进行DNA提取和测序;在实地收集的全球定位系统数据将用于绘制地理分布图;分子系统学方法将用于估计核和线粒体DNA基因树，这将被用来解决有关colobine系统学的问题，并在组内的vicariance事件的时间。结果将导致更好地了解的行为生态学，形态学和进化辐射的叶猴，并允许测试有关非洲灵长类动物speechography的假设。 该项目最重要的更广泛的影响之一是保护方面的影响。当物种一级的分类没有普遍的一致意见时，濒危物种的识别就成了问题，使保护优先事项的指定变得困难。由于保护的目标之一是保护遗传多样性，而分类学旨在反映系统发育关系和遗传独特性，因此良好的系统发育对于有效保护至关重要。由于红疣猴的关系，目前解决不好，这项研究的影响，有效的物种水平的保护，生物多样性分析，并指定保护的优先事项。此外，在现场收集样本时，学生Co-PI收集了濒危红疣猴种群的分布信息，并雇用和培训了当地的现场助理。这个合作PI也将有助于在分子人类学实验室的本科生的监护。这项研究的结果将发表在学术期刊上，并在学术会议上发表，序列将提交给国家生物技术信息中心（NCBI）托管的可公开访问的GenBank数据库。此外，这项研究将促进博士生的专业发展。

Red colobus monkeys (subfamily Colobinae, genus Procolobus, subgenus Piliocolobus) are distributed across equatorial Africa in over 14 different forms and display a complex pattern of variation. They currently rank among the most endangered primates in Africa, and their classification remains one of the longest-standing problems in African primate taxonomy. Using molecular techniques, this research will build a phylogeny and classification for red colobus monkeys, representing the most comprehensive molecular study of African leaf monkeys to date. Specifically, this research has the following objectives; 1) establish relationships among red colobus populations, 2) develop a taxonomy that accurately reflects the diversity within the group, 3) provide distributional information on red colobus populations, and 4) further our knowledge concerning colobine evolutionary history. Fecal, tissue from museum collections, and hair samples from numerous red colobus populations have been collected and will be subjected to DNA extraction and sequencing; GPS data collected in the field will be used to map geographical distributions; and molecular phylogenetic methods will be employed to estimate nuclear and mitochondrial DNA gene trees, which will be used to address questions concerning colobine systematics and the timing of vicariance events within the group. The results will lead to a better understanding of the behavioral ecology, morphology, and evolutionary radiation of the leaf monkeys, and allow the testing of hypotheses concerning African primate biogeography. Among the most important broader impacts of this project are the conservation implications. When there is no universal agreement on species-level classification, identification of endangered species becomes problematic, making the designation of conservation priorities difficult. Because one of the goals of conservation is to preserve genetic diversity, and taxonomy is meant to reflect phylogenetic relationships and genetic distinctiveness, well-resolved phylogenies are essential for effective conservation. Since red colobus relationships are currently poorly resolved, this study has implications for effective species-level conservation, biodiversity analysis, and designation of conservation priorities. Also, while in the field collecting samples, the student Co-PI collected distributional information for endangered red colobus populations, and hired and trained local field assistants. This Co-PI will also be instrumental in the tutelage of undergraduates in a molecular anthropology laboratory. The results of this research will be published in scholarly journals and presented at academic conferences, and sequences will be submitted to the publicly accessible GenBank database hosted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Furthermore, this research will foster the professional development of a doctoral student.