Journal
CURRENT ZOOLOGY
Volume 66, Issue 2, Pages 113-122Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa006
Keywords
gene flow; male dispersal; multilevel society; Rhinopithecus roxellana; social organization
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [31730104, 31622053]
- Promotional project for Innovation team
- Department of Science and Technology of Shaanxi Prov. China [2018TD017]
- Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [XDB31020000]
- National Key Programme of Research and Development, Ministry of Science and Technology of China [2016YFC0503200]
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In the face of ongoing habitat fragmentation, many primate species have experienced reduced gene flow resulting in a reduction of genetic diversity, population bottlenecks, and inbreeding depression, including golden snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus roxellana. Golden snub-nosed monkeys live in a multilevel society composed of several 1 male harem units that aggregate to form a cohesive breeding band, which is followed by one or more bachelor groups composed of juvenile, subadult, and adult male members. In this research, we examine the continuous landscape resistance surface, the genetic diversity and patterns of gene flow among 4 isolated breeding bands and 1 all-male band in the Qinling Mountains, China. Landscape surface modeling suggested that human activities and ecological factors severely limit the movement of individuals among breeding bands. Although these conditions are expected to result in reduced gene flow, reduced genetic diversity, and an increased opportunity for a genetic bottleneck, based on population genetic analyses of 13 microsatellite loci from 188 individuals inhabiting 4 isolated breeding bands and 1 all-male band, we found high levels of genetic diversity but low levels of genetic divergence, as well as high rates of gene flow between males residing in the all-male band and each of the 4 breeding bands. Our results indicate that the movement of bachelor males across the landscape, along with their association with several different breeding bands, appears to provide a mechanism for promoting gene flows and maintaining genetic diversity that may counteract the otherwise isolating effects of habitat fragmentation.
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