Identification of species-specific nuclear insertions of mitochondrial DNA (numts) in gorillas and their potential as population genetic markers.

The first hyper-variable region (HV1) of the mitochondrial control region (MCR) has been widely used as a molecular tool in population genetics, but inadvertent amplification of nuclear translocated copies of mitochondrial DNA (numts) in gorillas has compromised the use of mitochondrial DNA in population genetic studies. At least three putative classes (I, II, III) of gorilla-specific HV1 MCR numts have been uncovered over the past decade. However, the number, size and location of numt loci in gorillas and other apes are completely unknown.