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Genetic structure of an isolated population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama

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Abstract

Habitat fragmentation may influence genetic variability through reductions in population size and the physical isolation of conspecifics. We explored the effects of these factors on genetic diversity in a population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. The study population was established in 1914 when an unknown number of resident individuals were isolated from the surrounding mainland by damming of the Río Chagres to create the Panama Canal. Analyses of 10 microsatellite loci indicated that, despite this isolation, the howler monkeys on BCI exhibit levels of genetic diversity (H S = 0.584 ± 0.063) among the highest reported for any species of Alouatta. These data also revealed that although relatedness among adults in a social group was significantly greater than zero, the BCI population is not highly genetically structured. Tests for genetic bottlenecks based on departures from equilibrium expectations failed to reveal evidence of a recent reduction in population size. In contrast, coalescent modeling indicated that this population has likely experienced a marked decline within the last few 100 years. These findings generate new insights into the genetic structure of A. palliata and suggest that while the formation of BCI may not have substantially reduced genetic variation in these animals, genetic diversity has been influenced by historical changes in population size.

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Acknowledgements

For permission to work on BCI, we thank Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente (Panama) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Assistance in the field was provided by V. Jaramillo, F. Rodrigues, K. Glander, M. Hopkins and M. Wasserman. For assistance with microsatellite analyses, we thank S. Thomas, M. Simpson, A. Young and M. Svenson. Research funding was provided by the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and the California Agricultural Experimental Station at UC Berkeley. During preparation of the manuscript, J. Lozier was supported by an EPA STAR Predoctoral Fellowship.

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  1. Jeffrey D. Lozier

    Present address: Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

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  1. Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, 137 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3114, USA

    Katharine Milton & Jeffrey D. Lozier

  2. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology & Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3140, USA

    Eileen A. Lacey

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  1. Katharine Milton
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Milton, K., Lozier, J.D. & Lacey, E.A. Genetic structure of an isolated population of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Conserv Genet 10, 347–358 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-008-9584-3

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