Saving ChimpsJanet ClarkSteve Karr

Mary Ann McLean

Chimp Problems

• Low population

• Loss of habitat

• Habitat fragmentation

• Potential inbreeding

- leads to lack of MHC diversity

MHC = Major Histocompatibility Complex

MHC diversity is important in maintaining population resistance to diseases

Solution

• Identify discrete populations of chimps

• Ideally, examine MHC similarities between the populations

• Identify suitable breeding program to diversify MHC

• Since MHC data not available – used mitochondrial DNA

Populations Examined

Mali - 9Ivory Coast – 18Gabon – 28Congo – 29Zaire – 30Tanzania – 36

• Sequences from 2 individuals at each location

Rooted Tree Based On Sequence Alignment

Results

• Subspecies cluster geographically• Coastal populations separated from Central

African populations• Gabon & Congo populations separated from Zaire

populations• Zaire & Tanzania populations clustered together• Gombe populations separated

Discussion

Based on sequence comparisons of Mitochondrial DNA, a breeding program that crosses subspecies boundaries should help maintain genetic (and therefore MHC) diversity. Examination of MHC sequence data would strengthen this conclusion.

Future Directions• What prevents mixing between Zaire, Gabon &

Congo? • What permits mixing between Zaire & Tanzania?• What accounts for the diversity among individuals in

Gombe?

Information Needed

• land cover

• human population density

• location of chimp populations

• additional information on tested individuals (gender, etc.)