Howl's Moving Monkeys: Genotyping Trafficked Howler Monkeys
- Poppy Simon
- Aug 23, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 20, 2020
Scientists in Argentina are using genetic sequencing to work out where confiscated trafficked howler monkeys originally come from to help identify poaching hotspots.
A team of researchers from Argentina, led by Luciana Inés Oklander built a genotype reference database for the black and gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) using multilocus microsatellite genotypes from 178 samples from 15 different locations. After testing the database by reassigning over 70% of individuals to their specific origin and over 90% to their cluster of origin, the authors used it to work out the origin of 22 confiscated monkeys and 3 dead monkeys. They were able to assign the locality of origin of 14 out of 25 test individuals and clusters of origin to 21/25 with a probability of more than 70%.
The results showed that most of the confiscated individuals originated from just one cluster, and 2 specific localities, identifying a local poaching hotspot and highlighting possible animal trafficking routes. As well as helping in the fight against poaching in the first place, this genotyping can also be used to inform the release of confiscated monkeys back into the wild. Conservationists can use the information either to reintroduce confiscated monkeys into their native populations, or to deliberately incorporate them into a translocation programme - releasing them in new populations to help boost genetic variation.
Oklander, L.I., Caputo, M., Solari, A. et al. Genetic assignment of illegally trafficked neotropical primates and implications for reintroduction programs. Sci Rep 10, 3676 (2020).
NB. This article is part of the last collection I helped to curate at the journal Scientific Reports, on Primatology. I wrote a blog post over on the Nature Ecology & Evolution Community site with a little summary of each article.
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