Laboratory and Field Studies of Gorilla Conservation Genetics

Western lowland gorillas possess high levels of genetic variation as identified by mitochondrial DNA sequence diversity and assessments of variation in nuclear loci such as microsatellites. CRES researchers performed the first genetic studies on wild populations of gorillas (mountain gorillas) and demonstrated the genetic distinctiveness of regional gorilla populations consistent with subspecies or species level designations.

Since those pioneering studies, additional studies have been conducted by a number of investigators that suggest significant genetic differentiation exists within even a single subspecies, the western lowland gorilla. Zoo populations of western lowland gorillas have been assembled by importation of wild gorillas from across the range of the western subspecies. As yet, there is no detailed comparison between the genetic variation documented in wild populations of gorillas and those held in zoos. This is unfortunate because the studies of wild western lowland gorillas are constrained by problems inherent in working with poor quality samples collected via non-invasive methods, such as hair and fecal material.

Utilizing the collections of the Frozen Zoo, more than 100 gorillas born in the wild and transferred to zoos over many years can be analyzed genetically. This will provide the most extensive database regarding genetics of western lowland gorillas and will facilitate further studies of wild populations of western lowland gorillas. Studies of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA loci, including microsatellites, will facilitate the development of new studies that will contribute to the knowledge of gorilla natural history, dispersal, mate choice, population structure, and estimates of population size over time.

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Capacity Building for Gorilla Conservation Science in Range States