Phylogeographic history and local adaptation in Japanese macaques: application of population genomics and morphometrics

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16211
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Ito Tsuyoshi 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 助教 (20711485)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 系統地理 / 生態ニッチモデリング / 集団遺伝 / ゲノム / コンピュータ断層撮影

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study we investigated the geographic patterns of genetic variation in Japanese macaques and the processes that underlie them. Japanese macaques show a sister group relationship with a clade comprising Chinese rhesus, Indian rhesus, and Taiwanese macaques. Japanese macaques comprise major northeastern and southwestern clades, with a boundary located near central Japan, and gene flow between the northeastern and southwestern lineages was detected. Refugia during the LGM were estimated to be distributed in limited areas along the south coasts of the Japanese archipelago.　Phylogeographic variation of Japanese macaques is likely due mainly to northeastーsouthwest divergence, which resulted from withdrawal into refugia during the glacial period, and subsequent gene flow.

Free Research Field

生物多様性

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高い地域多様性と固有性を併せ持つ日本列島の動植物は、生物地理学的に重要な研究対象として世界的に注目を集め、これまでにも多くの知見が蓄積されてきたが、比較的短期間に起こったとされる地域集団間の分岐と交流、日本列島の多様な環境に対する適応進化のプロセスについては、十分に理解されていなかった。本研究の成果は、日本列島における動物の地理的多様性の形成過程に関する理解の一助となるとともに、ニホンザルの地域集団の保全にも役立つことが期待される。