Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Habitat Modification and Gene Flow In An Endangered New World Primate

博士论文改进：濒临灭绝的新世界灵长类动物的栖息地改变和基因流动

• 批准号: 0847912
• 负责人: Don Melnick
• 金额: $ 1.03万
• 依托单位: Columbia University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-04-01 至 2011-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0847912&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Habitat; Modification

Landscape change and heterogeneity are hypothesized to play central roles in primate evolution. Thus, studies of primate ecology and evolution should explicitly consider landscape heterogeneity, especially as primate habitats are increasingly lost and modified. Central American Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri oerstedii) are endangered primates experiencing severe historical and ongoing habitat modification in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica. This study will 1) describe patterns of gene flow among wild populations of S. oerstedii, 2) describe the effects of landscape heterogeneity on gene flow patterns, and 3) improve future studies of primate ecology and evolution in heterogeneous landscapes by integrating theory and tools from landscape ecology with models of population genetics. Fecal samples from wild S. oerstedii populations will be collected non-invasively for DNA extraction, genotyping, and sequencing. Landscape genetics methods will be used to characterize localized gene flow patterns for S. oerstedii and correlate those patterns with measures of landscape heterogeneity. By conducting one of the first landscape genetics studies in a primate, the proposed research will help develop and refine landscape genetics methods for primates and will inform future studies of how heterogeneous landscapes influence primate ecology, population divergence, and evolution. The results of this project will also be incorporated into a science-based conservation management plan for S. oerstedii in collaboration with Costa Rican researchers. Specifically, information on dispersal patterns provided by this project will help to identify isolated populations of S. oerstedii that need particular attention, and guide the construction of biological corridors between fragments of forest.

假设景观变化和异质性在灵长类动物的进化中起着核心作用。因此，对灵长类动物生态学和进化的研究应明确考虑景观异质性，尤其是随着灵长类动物栖息地越来越丧失和修改。中美洲松鼠猴（Saimiri Oerstedii）是濒临灭绝的灵长类动物，在哥斯达黎加中部太平洋中经历了严重的历史和持续的栖息地修饰。这项研究将1）描述S. oerstedii的野生群体之间的基因流量模式，2）描述景观异质性对基因流动模式的影响； 3）改善了灵长类动物生态学和进化的未来研究，通过将景观理论和工具与景观生态学与种群遗传学模型相结合。野生链球菌种群的粪便样品将无创地收集以进行DNA提取，基因分型和测序。景观遗传学方法将用于表征S. oerstedii的局部基因流动模式，并将这些模式与景观异质性的度量相关联。通过在灵长类动物中进行最早的景观遗传学研究之一，拟议的研究将有助于开发和完善灵长类动物的景观遗传学方法，并将为未来的研究提供有关异质景观如何影响灵长类动物生态学，人口差异和进化的研究。该项目的结果还将与哥斯达黎加研究人员合作，为Oerstedii的基于科学的保护管理计划。具体而言，有关该项目提供的分散模式的信息将有助于确定需要特别注意的孤立的S. oerstedii种群，并指导森林碎片之间的生物走廊的构建。