Captive breeding of squirrel monkeys, Saimiri sciureus and Saimiri boliviensis: The problem of hybrid groups

Abstract

The electrophoretic variability of blood proteins coding for up to 32 genetic loci was analyzed in 108 squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus, Saimiri boliviensis, hybrids) from two captive colonies. Twelve polymorphic loci with 31 alleles are reported. The biallelic Ada* locus, G-statistics and Hardy-Weinberg genotype equilibria are useful for recognizing hybrids between S. sciureus and S. boliviensis. Backcrosses in hybrid stocks and gene flow in a natural hybrid belt, however, complicate the taxonomic diagnosis of captive specimens: S. sciureus phenotypes imported from Peru possessed the allele Ada*132, which generally characterizes S. boliviensis (or species hybrids). The complex taxonomy of Saimiri spp. requires careful planning of captive breeding. We suggest a genetic analysis of the founder individuals before their inclusion in the European studbook population and to breed S. sciureus from Guyana separately from Peruvian imports, because the latter bear a greater risk of being taxonomically heterogeneous. Zoo Biol 17: 95-109, 1998.

Pleistocene diversification of living squirrel monkeys (Saimiri spp.) inferred from complete mitochondrial genome sequences

“…Despite forming distinct geographic variants based on a wide array of morphological, molecular, and behavioral traits (Boinski and Cropp, 1999), the distribution of physical variation along continuous gradients (e.g., Thorington, 1985) and the apparent ability of distinct forms to hybridize in both captivity (Fogle, 1990;Schreiber et al, 1998;Lavergne et al, 2003) and the wild (Thorington, 1985;Silva et al, 1992Silva et al, , 1993Costello et al, 1993) have complicated the study of squirrel monkey systematics. Different studies have recognized from one to seven species and up to seventeen subspecies of Saimiri (Costello et al, 1993).…”

Morphological and Genetic Characterization of Saimiri boliviensis

“…Consequently, hybrids of Saimiri form groups in captivity that are not useful for the development of conservation plans because they do not represent natural populations (Schreiber et al 1998). Thus, it is important to study as many traits as possible for the identification of subjects to establish a useful classification for those that require taxonomic certainty.…”

Molecular data highlight hybridization in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri, Cebidae)

“…Arnold and Meyer (2006) concluded that reticulate evolution is a common process in the evolutionary history of animals, with numerous examples of the formation of new taxa as a consequence of introgressive hybridization. In primates, this phenomenon has been reported in both captivity and the natural environment (Schreiber et al , 1998; Zinner et al , 2009; Matauschek et al , 2011). However, the exact role of hybridization in the evolutionary history of an organism is usually unclear, and reticulate evolution represents a potential pitfall for phylogenetic reconstructions.…”