NONINVASIVE GENOTYPING OF PRIMATES

Using DNA amplified from shed or plucked hair follicles it is now possible to genotype individual primates at many nuclear and mitochondrial gene loci. Sequence specific primers and the polymerase chain reaction permit the rapid production of sufficient DNA from a single hair for numerous analyses. The direct sequencing of relatively conservative mtDNA sequences like cytochrome b is proving useful in establishing species and subspecies-level relationships. More variable sequences (e.g. the mtDNA control region or D-loop) are useful at the population and social community levels. Paternity exclusion, pedigree relationships, and community structure can be determined using simple sequence length polymorphisms (SSLPs) of multiple hypervariable nuclear microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Studies involving captive and free-ranging chimpanzees, gibbons, and macaques illustrate the resolving power of these new non-invasive molecular genetic genotyping techniques.