Human microsatellites applicable for analysis of genetic variation in apes and Old World monkeys

In studies of the genetics and social structure of primate populations there is a need to develop highly variable genetic markers for characterizing mating success and the nature of population movement or change through time. Because of their highly polymorphic nature, relatively simple amplification and typing, and the possibility of noninvasive sampling, microsatellites have become the molecular tool of choice in such studies. However, until recently it was assumed that many microsatellite loci, which are primarily situated in noncoding regions of the genome, evolve too rapidly to be applicable in evolutionarily divergent species. This has often resulted in the time-consuming process of cloning and sequencing microsatellites in new species. Here we describe the application of 11 human microsatellite primer pairs to a large group of primate species. The loci described are informative in all major groups of apes and Old World monkeys, although levels of allelic variability and heterozygosity differ across species. We confirm that with the use of appropriate universally applicable PCR conditions, a subset of human microsatellites are informative genetic markers in a wide range of divergent primate taxa.