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Genetic assessment of an isolated endemic Samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis labiatus) population in the Amathole Mountains, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

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Abstract

The endemic Samango monkey subspecies (Cercopithecus albogularis labiatus) inhabits small discontinuous Afromontane forest patches in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal midlands and southern Mpumalanga Provinces in South Africa. The subspecies is affected by restricted migration between forest patches which may impact on gene flow resulting in inbreeding and possible localized extinction. Current consensus, based on habitat quality, is that C. a. labiatus can be considered as endangered as the small forest patches they inhabit may not be large enough to sustain them. The aim of this study was to conduct a molecular genetic investigation to determine if the observed isolation has affected the genetic variability of the subspecies. A total of 65 Samango monkeys (including juveniles, subadults and adults) were sampled from two localities within the Hogsback area in the Amathole Mountains. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA variation was assessed using 17 microsatellite markers and by sequencing the hypervariable 1 region (HVR1). Microsatellite data generated was used to determine population structure, genetic diversity and the extent of inbreeding. Sequences of the HVR1 were used to infer individual origins, haplotype sharing and haplotype diversity. No negative genetic factors associated with isolation such as inbreeding were detected in the two groups and gene flow between groups can be regarded as fairly high primarily as a result of male migration. This was in contrast to the low nuclear genetic diversity observed (H o = 0.45). A further reduction in heterozygosity may lead to inbreeding and reduced offspring fitness. Translocations and establishment of habitat corridors between forest patches are some of the recommendations that have emerged from this study which will increase long-term population viability of the subspecies.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Kirsten Wimberger and Dr. Adrian S.W Tordiffe for fieldwork conducted to obtain samples used in this study. We acknowledge the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (NZG) for organizational core grant funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    M. Thabang Madisha, Desire L. Dalton & Antoinette Kotze

  2. Genetics Department, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa

    Desire L. Dalton & Antoinette Kotze

  3. Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag 680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    M. Thabang Madisha & Raymond Jansen

  4. Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa

    Desire L. Dalton

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  1. M. Thabang Madisha
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  3. Raymond Jansen
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  4. Antoinette Kotze
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Correspondence to Desire L. Dalton.

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Ethical considerations

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Research Ethics & Scientific Committee (RESC, Project #2012/P12/08) of the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (NZG) and by the Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Animal Research Ethics Committee (Reference Number #AREC2014/06/001). All samples used in this project were stored at the National Zoological Gardens Biobank in Pretoria.

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Madisha, M.T., Dalton, D.L., Jansen, R. et al. Genetic assessment of an isolated endemic Samango monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis labiatus) population in the Amathole Mountains, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Primates 59, 197–207 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-017-0636-5

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