Author(s):
Silva, Maria Joana Ferreira da ; Tralma, Paula ; Colmonero-Costeira, Ivo ; Cravo-Mota, Mariana ; Farassi, Rassina ; Hammond, Philippa ; Lewis-Bevan, Lynn ; Bamford, Marion K. ; Biro, Dora ; Lüdecke, Tina ; Mathe, Jacinto ; Bobe, René ; Capelli, Cristian ; Martínez, Felipe I. ; Carvalho, Susana
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/27360
Origin: Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve
Subject(s): Male-biased dispersal; Southern Africa; Zambezi River; Warfare; Behavioral fexibility
Description
Dispersal behavior influences gene flow and the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, which is crucial for a species' evolutionary trajectory and population persistence under environmental changes. We used gene flow as a proxy to investigate dispersal patterns in the grayfoot chacma baboon (Papio ursinus griseipes) in Gorongosa National Park (GNP), central Mozambique. The baboons inhabit a mosaic landscape with a seasonally variable environment. Thirty-two years ago, GNP was the epicenter of a major war that severely reduced apex predators, resulting in limited mammalian predation on baboons. We aimed to characterize genetic diversity, examine the extent and direction of sex-biased gene flow at different time frames and investigate changes in population size and recent migration events. We collected 121 non-invasive DNA samples and analyzed uni- and bi-parentally inherited markers, comprising mitochondrial DNA, autosomal and Y-linked microsatellites, at two geographic locations (GNP and Catap & uacute; Forest Reserve) 150 km apart. We observed high genetic diversity and no evidence of a recent population decline. We identified six mitochondrial haplotypes, including a genetically distinct one in Catapu Forest Reserve. We found molecular evidence for historical and current male-mediated gene flow and female philopatry. Our results highlight the resilience of dispersal patterns in Papio sp. in diverse and seasonally variable ecosystems which have been disturbed by anthropogenic activities.
