Ettore Fedele *1, Jon H. Wetton 1 & Mark A. Jobling 1
1 Dept. of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester
Non-human great ape species are key to the maintenance of healthy ecosystems that support millions of people around the world. Despite their ecological importance, great apes are globally under threat due to habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting, and illegal wildlife trade. Therefore, monitoring changes in population size is of primary importance in order to develop effective action plans and assess the effectiveness of current conservation measures. The development of novel techniques for individual identification in population studies represents a cornerstone in ecological research. In this context, field genomics as a relatively new discipline, has the potential to effectively support the conservation and monitoring of the species around the world.
This project aims to exploit existing methods of DNA analysis for individual and sub-species identification, as well as developing new ones. The first part will focus on highly mutating repetitive regions of the genome, deploying a commonly used forensic kit designed for human investigation. We will test its potential for individual and species identification across a panel containing individuals belonging to the genera Pan and Gorilla. Secondly, we will seek to develop a new set of markers to support in situ conservation efforts through the analysis of non-invasive and degraded samples of DNA (e.g. faeces and hair). Indeed, we will exploit some of the latest sequencing technology for on-site analysis amid the fight against poaching and illegal wildlife trade of endangered populations of mountain gorilla.