Ecology and social system of northern gibbons living in cold seasonal forests.

Gibbons in China represent the northernmost margin of present day gibbon species distribution (around N25°). Compared to tropical habitats, northern gibbon habitats are characterized by low temperatures and remarkable seasonal variation in fruit abundance. How gibbons adapt to their cold and seasonal habitats and what ecological factors affect their sociality are key questions for understanding their ecology and social system evolution, the elucidation of which will contribute to the conservation of these special populations/species.

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Garrulax poecilorhynchus (Aves, Passeriformes, Timaliidae).

The entire mitochondrial genome of Garrulax poecilorhynchus consists of 17 814 bp and containe 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and two control regions. The nucleotide composition of the mitogenome of G. poecilorhynchus is A = 5342 (29.

Characteristic of complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic relationship of Garrulax sannio (Passeriformes, Timaliidae).

Garrulax sannio (Passeriformes, Timaliidae) was the medium-sized bird, whose plumage color was similar for both sexes. The complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA genome from G. sannio used the polymerase chain reaction method.

Genetic diversity and differentiation of the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) population in western Sichuan, China, based on the second exon of the major histocompatibility complex class II DQB (MhcMamu-DQB1) alleles.

Background: Rhesus macaques living in western Sichuan, China, have been separated into several isolated populations due to habitat fragmentation. Previous studies based on the neutral or nearly neutral markers (mitochondrial DNA or microsatellites) showed high levels of genetic diversity and moderate genetic differentiation in the Sichuan rhesus macaques. Variation at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci is widely accepted as being maintained by balancing selection, even with a low level of neutral variability in some species.

Ranging behavior of eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) in a northern montane forest in Gaoligongshan, Yunnan, China.

Generally, food abundance and distribution exert important influence on primate ranging behavior. Hoolock gibbons (genus Hoolock) live in lowland and montane forests in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China. All information about hoolock gibbons comes from studies on western hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) living in lowland forest.

Dietary variability in the western black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) inhabiting an isolated and disturbed forest fragment in Southern Yunnan, China.

Forest fragmentation and isolation can reduce the size of available habitat and lead to lower food availability for some primate species. The persistence of nonhuman primates in fragments depends largely on their ability to adjust their diet in response environmental change. The western black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) is distributed in northern Vietnam, northwestern Laos, and southwestern China, but little is known about its diet except from studies in the well-protected forests of Mt.

Genetic variation and phylogenetic relationship between three serow species of the genus Capricornis based on the complete mitochondrial DNA control region sequences.

The molecular evidence of phylogenetic status regarding the Formosan serow (Capricornis swinhoei) is not robust and little is known about the genetic diversity of the Sumatran serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), which partly is due to the hardness in sample collection. Here we determined the sequences of the complete mitochondrial DNA control region (1,014 bp) of 19 Sumatran-serow individuals. Nine new haplotypes were defined based on 78 variable sites.

Significance of grooming behavior in two polygynous groups of western black crested gibbons: Implications for understanding social relationships among immigrant and resident group members.

In primates, grooming is considered among the most common behaviors for maintaining social bonds; however, to date, few studies have examined grooming behavior in gibbon species in detail. We used both a 5-min interval scan method and social network analysis to study grooming in two groups of polygynous western black-crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) in Wuliang Mountain, Central Yunnan, China. Individuals in both groups spent little time in social grooming (1.

Phylogenetic analysis of chinese rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) based on mitochondrial control region sequences.

Between one and six subspecies of Chinese rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) have been proposed based on morphological differences and/or their geographic distribution. In this study, a 489 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region was amplified from 230 DNA samples collected from rhesus macaques in the Sichuan province in Western China. The fragment was then sequenced and aligned with 208 sequences from wild rhesus macaques, sampled throughout the species' geographic range in China downloaded from GenBank.

[Polymorphism of MHC-DPB1 gene exon 2 in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)].

Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) has long been used as an experimental model animal for biomedical research and was under the key state protection (class II) from Chinese government. In order to facilitate the use of Chinese rhesus macaques in biomedical research and their protection based on better understanding of the major mistocompability complex (MHC) genes in these macaques, the exon 2 of Mamu-DPB1 genes were determined in 106 wild rhesus macaques using DGGE, cloning and sequencing. A total of 21 Mamu-DPB1 alleles were obtained, of which 15 alleles were novel sequences that had not been documented previously.