Current status and conservation of the gray snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus brelichi (Colobinae) in Guizhou, China

Xiang, Zuofu; Nie, Shuai-Guo; Lei, Xiaoping; Chang, ZongFei; Wei, Fuwen; Li, Ming

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.11.019

Cited by 29 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The heterozygosity in R. roxellana was higher than in R. bieti and R. strykeri, coinciding with its wider distribution and largest contemporary population size among the five snub-nosed monkey species 28 . However, the higher heterozygosity of R. brelichi is in contrast to its low population size (fewer than 800 individuals 29 ) in comparison to other snub-nosed monkeys in the same genus.…”

Section: Genomic Variation and Demographic Historymentioning

confidence: 71%

Whole-genome sequencing of the snub-nosed monkey provides insights into folivory and evolutionary history

et al. 2014

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Colobines are a unique group of Old World monkeys that principally eat leaves and seeds rather than fruits and insects. We report the sequencing at 146× coverage, de novo assembly and analyses of the genome of a male golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) and resequencing at 30× coverage of three related species (Rhinopithecus bieti, Rhinopithecus brelichi and Rhinopithecus strykeri). Comparative analyses showed that Asian colobines have an enhanced ability to derive energy from fatty acids and to degrade xenobiotics. We found evidence for functional evolution in the colobine RNASE1 gene, encoding a key secretory RNase that digests the high concentrations of bacterial RNA derived from symbiotic microflora. Demographic reconstructions indicated that the profile of ancient effective population sizes for R. roxellana more closely resembles that of giant panda rather than its congeners. These findings offer new insights into the dietary adaptations and evolutionary history of colobine primates.Knowledge of the patterns and processes underlying the evolution of alternative dietary strategies in nonhuman primates is critical to understanding hominin evolution, nutritional ecology and applications in biomedicine 1 . Colobines, a group of Old World monkeys, serve as an important model organism for studying the evolution of the primate diet because of their adaptation to folivory: they primarily eat leaves and seeds rather than fruits and insects as their major food source. In their specialized and compartmentalized stomachs, colobines allow symbiotic bacteria in the foregut to ferment structural carbohydrates and then recover nutrients by digesting the bacteria 2 . This strategy is similar to that used by other foregut fermenters found in an evolutionarily distantly related group of mammals (for example, artiodactyls). Although a number of primate genomes have been sequenced thus far, high-quality genome sequence information is absent for Asian and African colobines, a key group for elucidating the evolution and adaptation of primates as a whole. Snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus species) are a group of endangered colobines, which were once widely distributed in Asia but are now limited to mountain forests in China and Vietnam 3 (Supplementary Fig. 1).The golden snub-nosed monkey (GSM, R. roxellana) is recognized as an iconic endangered species in China for its golden coat, blue facial coloration, snub nose and specialized life history. Among its congeners, the black-white snub-nosed monkey (R. bieti), endemic to the Tibetan plateau, has the highest altitudinal distribution (>4,000 m above sea level) of any nonhuman primate. Given the above features and the fact that Rhinopithecus species consume difficult-to-digest foods that contain tannins (for example, leaves and pine seeds), we expected to identify genetic adaptations that enhance the breakdown of toxins, improve the regulation of energy metabolism and facilitate the digestion of symbiotic microbacteria. RESULTS Genomic sequences and the accumulation of...

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Section: Genomic Variation and Demographic Historymentioning

confidence: 71%

Whole-genome sequencing of the snub-nosed monkey provides insights into folivory and evolutionary history

et al. 2014

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“…The field site was established in the 1980s with a system of marked trails and observation posts. It is estimated that there are 400-500 R. brelichi around Yangaoping [Sun et al, 1990;Yang et al, 2002;Xiang et al, 2009]. Our subjects included several unidentified monkey groups.…”

Section: Study Site and Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The entire population (approx. 750 individuals) resides on a single mountain, Fanjingshan, the main peak of the Wuling mountain range in northeast Guizhou province Xiang, et al, 2009]. Even though Fanjingshan is a national nature reserve, because R. brelichi is isolated on this 'island' ecosystem, the species is at a higher extinction risk than the giant panda, which inhabits multiple reserves throughout central China.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Altitudinal Movements of Guizhou Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi) in Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, China: Implications for Conservation Management of a Flagship Species

Niu¹,

Tan²,

Yang³

2010

IJFP

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Primate movements can include a substantial altitudinal component, depending on the complexity of the landscape and the distribution of the inherent vegetation zones. We investigated altitudinal movements of Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi) at Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, China. The monkeys ranged at elevations between 1,350 and 1,870 m with an overall mean of 1,660 m. We did not find a significant difference in the mean elevations among seasons or evidence of winter migration to lower elevations. The monkeys exhibited a distinct daily altitudinal movement pattern that coincided with their activities. During the day, the monkeys consistently traveled from lower to higher elevations in the morning (98% of records) and then descended to lower elevations in the afternoon (96%). Hence, the mean elevation of night roosts was significantly lower (1,561 m) than those of feeding sites and day roosts (1,735 and 1,737 m, respectively). We suggest that this daily pattern of R. brelichi may reflect a trade-off between finding food and avoiding predation within the mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaf vegetation zone at the study site, which may constitute the most important habitat for R. brelichi in the reserve.

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“…At present, R. brelichi is restricted to approximately 750 individuals living in a small region in the Mt. Fanjing area of northwest Guizhou Province, China, over a range of 275 km 2 in Fanjing Mountain National Nature Reserve [9]. Mt.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…However, the current habitats of the extant species are separated from each other and they are confined to very limited areas in isolated mountainous regions in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Shanxi, Gansu, Tibet, *Corresponding author (email: lim@ioz.ac.cn) northern Vietnam and north eastern Myanmar [4]. Current census data suggests a very gloomy picture for all of these species, with 20000 individuals of R. roxellana but only 1500 R. bieti, 750 R. brelichi, 260-330 R. strykeri, and 130-350 R. avunculus in the wild [1, [5][6][7][8][9].…”

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confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial DNA variation analysis suggests extreme low genetic diversity in Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi)

et al. 2011

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Guizhou snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi) is a unique, endangered primate in China, mainly distributed in Fanjing Mountain National Natural Reserve, Guizhou Province, in an area of 275 km 2 . Recently, habitat loss and fragmentation have caused population isolation. To assess genetic diversity within this species and its population structure, we sequenced 400 bp of the hypervariable I segment from the mitochondrial DNA control region for 128 individuals. Only one haplotype was identified from these individuals. Compared with other primate species, R. brelichi can be regarded as a species with very low genetic diversity, which further adds to the conservation concern.Rhinopithecus brelichi, mitochondrial DNA, genetic diversity, conservation Citation:Pan H J, Shi F L, Chang Z F, et al. Mitochondrial DNA variation analysis suggests extreme low genetic diversity in Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi).

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Current status and conservation of the gray snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus brelichi (Colobinae) in Guizhou, China

Cited by 29 publications

References 7 publications

Whole-genome sequencing of the snub-nosed monkey provides insights into folivory and evolutionary history

Whole-genome sequencing of the snub-nosed monkey provides insights into folivory and evolutionary history

Altitudinal Movements of Guizhou Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi) in Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, China: Implications for Conservation Management of a Flagship Species

Mitochondrial DNA variation analysis suggests extreme low genetic diversity in Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus brelichi)

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