Publications by authors named "T R Disotell"

Hybridization in nature offers unique insights into the process of natural selection in incipient species and their hybrids. In order to evaluate the patterns and targets of selection, we examine a recently discovered baboon hybrid zone in the Kafue River Valley of Zambia, where Kinda baboons (Papio kindae) and grey-footed chacma baboons (P. ursinus griseipes) coexist with hybridization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The recently described genus Paragalago is a complex of several nocturnal and morphologically cryptic species distributed in the forests of eastern Africa. Species diversity within this genus has been mainly described using species-specific differences in their loud calls. However, molecular data are still lacking for this group and species boundaries remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • In certain mammals like colobine monkeys and ruminants, enzymes originally for immune defense have adapted to aid digestion, specifically pancreatic ribonuclease (RNASE1) and lysozyme C (LYZ).
  • Howler monkeys, which do not have multi-chambered stomachs but ferment leaves in their gut, show interesting variations in their RNASE1 and LYZ genes compared to colobine primates.
  • The study found that the LYZ gene in howler monkeys remains unchanged, while RNASE1 has duplicated and evolved with biochemical modifications, suggesting an important adaptation for digesting tough plant materials, crucial during times when fruits are scarce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Describing primate biodiversity is one of the main goals in primatology. Species are the fundamental unit of study in phylogeny, behaviour, ecology and conservation. Identifying species boundaries is particularly challenging for nocturnal taxa where only subtle morphological variation is present.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent studies suggest that closely related species can accumulate substantial genetic and phenotypic differences despite ongoing gene flow, thus challenging traditional ideas regarding the genetics of speciation. Baboons (genus ) are Old World monkeys consisting of six readily distinguishable species. Baboon species hybridize in the wild, and prior data imply a complex history of differentiation and introgression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF