Paternity data reveal high MHC diversity among sires in a polygynandrous, egalitarian primate.

Evidence from human and nonhuman primates suggests that females avoid breeding with close kin and may choose mates based on MHC diversity, which can improve offspring survival. In despotic societies, female mate choice may be hindered by male sexual coercion, but in egalitarian societies, females may be less constrained. Among northern muriquis-an egalitarian, polygynandrous primate with male philopatry-analyses of new data on paternity and variation at microsatellite and MHC loci, combined with behavioural and life-history data, revealed that sires showed higher MHC diversity than expected by chance and were never close kin of dams, consistent with predictions of female mate choice and close inbreeding avoidance.

The rise and fall of a genus: Complete mtDNA genomes shed light on the phylogenetic position of yellow-tailed woolly monkeys, Lagothrix flavicauda, and on the evolutionary history of the family Atelidae (Primates: Platyrrhini).

Using complete mitochondrial genome sequences, we provide the first molecular analysis of the phylogenetic position of the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, Lagothrix flavicauda (a.k.a.

Low paternity skew and the influence of maternal kin in an egalitarian, patrilocal primate.

Levels of reproductive skew vary in wild primates living in multimale groups depending on the degree to which high-ranking males monopolize access to females. Still, the factors affecting paternity in egalitarian societies remain unexplored. We combine unique behavioral, life history, and genetic data to evaluate the distribution of paternity in the northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus), a species known for its affiliative, nonhierarchical relationships.

DNA barcoding meets molecular scatology: short mtDNA sequences for standardized species assignment of carnivore noninvasive samples.

Although species assignment of scats is important to study carnivore biology, there is still no standardized assay for the identification of carnivores worldwide, which would allow large-scale routine assessments and reliable cross-comparison of results. Here, we evaluate the potential of two short mtDNA fragments [ATP6 (126 bp) and cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) (187 bp)] to serve as standard markers for the Carnivora. Samples of 66 species were sequenced for one or both of these segments.

Genetic diversity and population history of a critically endangered primate, the northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus).

Social, ecological, and historical processes affect the genetic structure of primate populations, and therefore have key implications for the conservation of endangered species. The northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) is a critically endangered New World monkey and a flagship species for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest hotspot. Yet, like other neotropical primates, little is known about its population history and the genetic structure of remnant populations.

A PCR-RFLP assay for gender assignment in the three-toed sloths (Bradypus, Pilosa, Bradypodidae).

The three-toed sloths (Bradypus) are slow-moving arboreal neotropical mammals. Understanding demographic variables (such as sex ratio) of populations is a key for conservation purposes. Nevertheless, gender assignment of Bradypus is particularly challenging because of the lack of sexual dimorphism in infants and in adults, particularly B.