Mountain Gorilla's Genome Key in Understanding their Population Decline
April 15, 2015| |
The mountain gorilla's whole genome has been sequenced through the collaborative efforts of researchers from different American and European institutions led by Chris Tyler-Smith from Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, United Kingdom. This was made possible by analyzing the blood samples obtained from the Rwanda Development Board, Africa, The Institut Congolese pour la Conservation du Nature, Spain and the Gorilla Doctors, University of California-Berkeley. The sequenced genome served as a key in understanding the reasons behind the population decline of mountain gorillas.
By comparing the genome of mountain gorilla with other gorilla species, the team's findings show that mountain gorillas have very low genetic diversity. Inbreeding is considered to be genetically beneficial for mountain gorillas due to the production of fewer loss-of-function variants. These variants inhibit gene functions causing serious health problems. The genomes also reveal that the loss of genetic diversity in mountain gorilla started over 20,000 years.
Full details of the study can be read at Science's website or Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute's website.
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