Preliminary assessment of the genetic diversity of two wild populations of pygmy marmosets Cebuella pygmaea in Ecuadorian Amazon. Cebuella pygmaea

Genetic diversity has been related to the adaptability of a population to environmental changes. Species with small populations and low dispersal abilities are particularly prone to suffer a reduction of genetic diversity because of inbreeding, genetic drift and limited gene flow. The pygmy marmoset Cebuella pygmaea is a highly specialized primate, both in habitat and diet. It is considered a Vulnerable species in Ecuador, where its populations are small and isolated. In this preliminary study, we used five heterologous SSR markers to compare the genetic diversity of two wild populations of pygmy marmosets in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Our preliminary results suggest there are genetic differences between the two populations. These differences include differences in allelic frequencies and unique alleles for each population. The values of Nei’s distance, Wright's Fst statistics and the results of the PCoA suggest that geographic distance may be one of the factors affecting genetic diversity in this species. Further studies are needed to better understand the effects of this and other environmental factors on the genetic diversity of pygmy marmoset populations.