Reports

HOPE Report No.12, 13th, May 2005.

Program No.11 (Joint research)

The 3rd HOPE International Seminar

Different types of genetic investigations to explain the behaviour of various primates.

Date: July 8th, 2004
Place: PRI, Kyoto university, Inuyama

Dr. Jan R. de Ruiter
Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group
University of Durham, United Kingdom

In this talk I will present some examples of previous work, as well as some current projects. Genetic work on the long-tailed macaques in Ketambe was initially based on protein analysis. The analysis of relatively variable proteins allowed for population genetic analysis with sufficient resolution to calculate relatedness, but not always to determine paternity through exclusion. For this latter task DNA multi-locus fingerprinting was included. The result provided good data on reproductive success and allowed for a re-interpretation of the sexual strategies of the macaques. With the advent of microsatellite analysis using PCR, we were able to carry out similar work on wild orang-utans with non-invasive sampling techniques. The results allowed us to analyze the alternative reproductive strategies of the males, for which data on both paternity as well as relatedness amongst males were required. In a current project on marmosets we are classifying individuals in different personality types. The purpose of the investigation is to investigate the degree to which personality types are prevalent in particular family lines. Ultimately we want to investigate genes responsible for the observed differences in personality.

 


Gifu University

 


Gifu University

 


PRI

 


PRI