Publication

Barriers to chimpanzee gene flow at the south-east edge of their distribution

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  • 07/07/2026
Type of Material
Authors
    Noémie Bonnin, Liverpool John Moores UniversityAlex K. Piel, University College LondonRichard P. Brown, Liverpool John Moores UniversityYingying Li, University of PennsylvaniaJesse A. Connell, University of PennsylvaniaAlexa N. Avitto, University of PennsylvaniaJean P. Boubli, University of SalfordAdrienne Chitayat, University of AmsterdamJasmin Giles, University of PennsylvaniaMadhurima S. Gundlapally, University of PennsylvaniaIddi Lipende, Tanzania Wildlife Research InstituteElizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Emory UniversityDeus Mjungu, The Jane Goodall Institute-TanzaniaDismas Mwacha, The Jane Goodall Institute-TanzaniaLilian Pintea, The Jane Goodall InstituteAnne E. Pusey, Duke UniversityJane Raphael, Gombe National ParkSerge A. Wich, Liverpool John Moores UniveristyMichael L. Wilson, University of Minnesota, MinneapolisEmily E. Wroblewski, Washington University in St. LouisBeatrice H. Hahn, University of PennsylvaniaFiona A. Stewart, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Language
  • English
Date
  • 2023-06-05
Publisher
  • John Wiley and Sons
Publication Version
Copyright Statement
  • © 2023 The Authors.
Final Published Version (URL)
Title of Journal or Parent Work
Volume
  • 32
Issue
  • 14
Start Page
  • 3842
End Page
  • 3858
Grant/Funding Agency
  • United States Agency for International Development
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • National institutes of Health
Grant/Funding Information
  • The Nature Conservancy, Frankfurt Zoological Society, and the Jane Goodall Institute with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) provided substantial financial, logistical, and administrative support. The laboratory work was supported by funds from the National institutes of Health to B.H.H. (R01 AI050529, R37 AI150590 and P30 AI045008).
Supplemental Material (URL)
Abstract
  • Populations on the edge of a species’ distribution may represent an important source of adaptive diversity, yet these populations tend to be more fragmented and are more likely to be geographically isolated. Lack of genetic exchanges between such populations, due to barriers to animal movement, can not only compromise adaptive potential but also lead to the fixation of deleterious alleles. The south-eastern edge of chimpanzee distribution is particularly fragmented, and conflicting hypotheses have been proposed about population connectivity and viability. To address this uncertainty, we generated both mitochondrial and MiSeq-based microsatellite genotypes for 290 individuals ranging across western Tanzania. While shared mitochondrial haplotypes confirmed historical gene flow, our microsatellite analyses revealed two distinct clusters, suggesting two populations currently isolated from one another. However, we found evidence of high levels of gene flow maintained within each of these clusters, one of which covers an 18 000 km2 ecosystem. Landscape genetic analyses confirmed the presence of barriers to gene flow with rivers and bare habitats highly restricting chimpanzee movement. Our study demonstrates how advances in sequencing technologies, combined with the development of landscape genetics approaches, can resolve ambiguities in the genetic history of critical populations and better inform conservation efforts of endangered species.
Author Notes
  • Author contributions: Conceptualization: N.B., R.P.B., J.P.B. and F.A.S, Data collection: N.B., A.C., D.C.M., A.K.P. and F.A.S., Laboratory work: N.B., A.N.A., J.G. and M.G., Data analyses: N.B. with contribution of J.A.C. and R.P.B., Project administration: B.H.H., I.L., E.V.L., D.C.M, D.M., L.P., J.R., M.L.W. and E.E.W., Data Curation: J.A.C., Y.L. and A.E.P., Supervision: R.P.B, A.K.P., F.A.S. and S.A.W, Writing - Original Draft: N.B. with contribution of R.P.B., A.K.P., F.A.S and E.E.W, Writing - Review & Editing: all authors
  • Acknowledgements: We are grateful to TAWIRI, COSTECH, and the Uvinza, Tanganyka and Kigoma Districts for permission to conduct research in western Tanzania. Thank you to the numerous field researchers who participated in the surveys conducted across the GME: Kiumbe Ahmedi, Matsumbuku Ahmedi, Mashaka Alimas, Moses Anyelwisye, Justina Boniface, Patrick Hassan, Busoti Juma, Hussen Juma, Shabani Kabangula, Mtunda Kapanda, Mustafa Kizimba, Gabriel Laizer, Kidosi Laurente, Joffrey and Shedrack Lucas, Makasa Mlekwa, Msigwa Rashid, Godfrey Stephano, and numerous others for their invaluable assistance and expertise in the field, without whom this research would not have been accomplished. We are also extremely grateful to JGI field researchers who contributed to the long term data collection across GNP. We are also grateful to the UCSD/Salk Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA) for long-term support of GMERC. Many thanks to Dr Adeline Morez, Dr Begoña Martínez-Cruz and Dr Nicolas Bech for helpful discussions on population and landscape genetic analyses. We further acknowledge Dr Jack Lester for his help with the EEMS analysis.
  • Correspondence: Noémie Bonn, noemiie.bonnin@gmail.com
Keywords
Subject - Topics
  • Biogeography
  • Genetic diversity

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