MHC haplotypes of humans and the African great ape species have one copy of the MHC-A, -B, and -C genes. In contrast, MHC haplotypes of orangutans, the Asian great ape species, exhibit variation in the number of gene copies. An in-depth analysis of the MHC class I gene repertoire in the two orangutan species, Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus, is presented in this article. This analysis involved ...

BACKGROUND Orang-utans exist today in small isolated populations on the islands of Borneo (subspecies Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) and Sumatra (subspecies P. p. abelii). Although, on the basis of their morphological, behavioral and cytogenetical characteristics, the Bornean and Sumatran orang-utan populations are generally considered as two separate subspecies, there is no universal agreement as to...

BACKGROUND We have previously demonstrated that the Y-specific ampliconic fertility genes DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) and CDY (chromodomain protein Y) varied with respect to copy number and position among chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). In comparison, seven Y-chromosomal lineages of the bonobo (Pan paniscus), the chimpanzee's closest living relative, showed no variation. We extend our earlier c...

Tuta absoluta is a major pest attacking tomato crops. This invasive species emerged in Europe (Spain) 2006, and 3 years later it spread to Portugal. In 2009/2010, was recorded for the first time Azores archipelago. Macrolophus pygmaeus predator widely used as biological control agent against leaf miner. study contrasted life-history traits population growth parameters of two feral populations M...

Bamboo is nutritionally significant across the world because shoots are high in calories and nutritional fiber but low cholesterol. However, recent research has shown that bamboo also contain a substantial quantity of heavy metals, including arsenic (As). Therefore, we explored whether co-application iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) selenium (Se-NPs) would attenuate As toxicity plants (Pleiobla...

Primates spend a significant proportion of their lives at sleeping sites, and the selection of a secure and stable nest tree can be crucial for the individual’s survival and fitness. This study examined nesting site preferences of Bornean Orangutans Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii (Tiedemann) in a degraded peat-swamp forest in the Sabangau catchment, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Orangutan nests were i...

Behavioural observations suggest that orang-utans are semi-solitary animals with females being philopatric and males roaming more widely in search of receptive partners, leading to the prediction that females are more closely related than males at any given site. In contrast, our study presents evidence for male and female philopatry in the orang-utan. We examined patterns of relatedness and pa...