Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Landscape Genetics of Gibbons and Leaf Monkeys in China

地理边界如何与灵长类动物的运动和生态相互作用，使种群碎片化，形成新物种，并导致它们的灭绝，这仍然是生物人类学家面临的一个基本问题。然而，几乎没有人努力准确地确定在不断变化的环境中，细微的地理差异实际上是如何改变灵长类动物潜在的种群遗传关系的。随着人类造成的环境退化继续隔离和碎片化不断减少的灵长类种群，了解先天生物因素如何影响灵长类在这些可变环境中扩散和交换基因的能力变得至关重要。黑冠长臂猿(Nomascus Concolor)和菲氏叶猴(Trachypithecus Phayrei)在云南许多地区有重叠的栖息地，中国，但尚不清楚它们如何存在生物学差异(在生态、运动等方面)。影响他们克服自然多样性景观和人类积极修改景观所造成的地理障碍的能力。博士生约瑟夫·奥尔金(位于圣路易斯的华盛顿大学)在理查德·史密斯博士的指导下进行了一项研究，考察了相同的地理边界(山脉、森林结构和河流)如何影响这些独特的、濒危的灵长类动物分散和交换基因的能力。通过比较在同一可变栖息地中同时被碎片化的两个衰落物种的配对种群，研究检验了这样一种假设，即这些运动和生态上的差异正在影响长臂猿和叶猴的进化和生存。这项研究对种群碎片化的相互作用原因提供了强有力的新理解，并产生了真正的保护影响。通过在美国和中国灵长类动物界之间建立新的长期合作关系，它还提供了相互分享知识和经验的机会，以帮助维护关键地区的生物多样性。

How geographic boundaries interact with primate locomotion and ecology to fragment populations, form new species, and lead to their extinction remains a fundamental question for biological anthropologists. Little effort has been made, however, to ascertain precisely how subtle geographic variation actually modifies the underlying population genetic relationships of primates in a changing environment. As human-induced environmental degradation continues to isolate and fragment dwindling populations of primates, it has become critical to understand how innate biological factors influence the ability of primates to disperse through and exchange genes within these variable environments.Black crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor) and Phayre's leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus phayrei) have overlapping habitats in many parts of Yunnan, China, but it is unclear how their biological differences (in ecology, locomotion, etc.) affect their abilities to overcome the geographic barriers imposed by both a naturally diverse landscape and one actively modified by humans. Research conducted by doctoral student Joseph Orkin (Washington University in St. Louis), under the supervision of Dr. Richard Smith, examines how the same geographic boundaries (mountains, forest structure, and rivers) affect the capability of these distinct, endangered primates to disperse and exchange genes. By comparing paired populations of two declining species that have been simultaneously fragmented within the same variable habitat, the research tests the hypothesis that these differences in locomotion and ecology are affecting both the evolution and survival of gibbons and leaf monkeys. The research provides a robust, new understanding of the interacting causes of population fragmentation, and yields real conservation impacts. By forging new, long-term collaborative ties between the American and Chinese primatological communities, it also provides a mutual sharing of knowledge and experience to help maintain biodiversity in a critical region.