Mitochondrial DNA control region sequencing of the critically endangered Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) reveals two female origins and extremely low genetic diversity

The Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) is endemic to China and is the world’s rarest ape. The remaining wild population totals only 33 individuals. In the current study, we sequenced the Mitochondrial DNA control region of 12 wild Hainan gibbons representing three social groups of the five remaining groups. By conducting population genetic analyses, we found that the proportion of four nucleotides (T, C, A and G) were 29.0%, 27.2%, 31.9% and 11.9%, respectively. Hypervariable segments of the mtDNA D-loop region (1005 bp in length), indicated five variable sites (a point mutation), with only two haplotypes present among the 12 samples. We observed that the genetic diversity of Hainan gibbons is lower than that reported in any other wild primate population, and that the two haplotypes detected, represent two ancestral lineages. These findings have important implications for proposing effective conservation strategies to protect this Critically Endangered ape species.