Population Genetic Structure of Azara's Owl Monkey (Aotus azarae) From Northern Argentina: Insights Into Gene Flow and Dispersal Patterns in a Pair-Living Primate

Abstract

Characterizing patterns of genetic diversity and gene flow is crucial for understanding the movements of dispersing individuals, and for assessing population viability and informing conservation strategies. The South American Gran Chaco is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the Americas. Yet critical data on the population genetic structure for many mammals occupying this ecoregion, including primates such as Azara's owl monkey (Aotus azarae), are lacking. We used 22 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA sequences to assess genetic diversity and population structure in A. azarae, an arboreal, pair-living platyrrhine primate, in the Gran Chaco of northern Argentina in areas characterized by a contiguous gallery forest and patches of forest in naturally occurring savanna. We also analyzed sex-specific patterns of isolation-by-distance and used assignment tests to evaluate dispersal patterns, assess potential sex differences in gene flow, and assessed potential differences in gene flow within and between gallery forest and forest patch habitats. We found limited genetic structure within sampling locations, and a moderate level of genetic differentiation between the two most-distant regions. There was no evidence of genetic differentiation between habitat types (gallery vs. forest patches). Some analyses suggest greater dispersal by females than males, although the evidence is not strong. We integrated these results with previous demographic and behavioral observations gathered since 1996 as part of a long-term study of owl monkeys in this area. This study constitutes an important first step in characterizing the genetic structure and patterns of gene flow for Azara's owl monkey populations in Argentina, which is essential for combatting the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on these native populations and for informing conservation management strategies for pair-living primates throughout the South American Gran Chaco.