Primate Evolutionary Genetics

With the publication in February 2001 of the draft human genome sequence, a new milestone was established in the history of biology. Seemingly, at the inception of the Human Genome Project, the pervasive impact of the availability of complete DNA sequences from human and other species failed to receive the wide and general recognition that now exists. Genome sequences have become an important organizing force for biological research. Increasingly those interested in the biology of an organism will come to count on the availability of detailed information on genomic sequence and expression. In the context of the emergence of genomic sciences and the development of tools for genomic analysis, the American Genetic Association (AGA) held its annual meeting in San Diego, California, May 18– 20, 2001, and held a symposium entitled ‘‘Primate Evolutionary Genetics.’’ Some of the papers presented at that symposium are collected together in this last issue of the Journal of Heredity for the year 2001. It is unusual to assemble a set of papers so rapidly for publication in a widely distributed peer-reviewed journal. As the approaches represented in the articles presented here are refined and extended to a broader diversity of primates and other organisms, we can anticipate that new insights into the biology of these species will become available. This is particularly true if appropriate sets of samples for analysis are available for the research community. Furthermore, the focus on describing and understanding genetic variation that is now an inherent part of the genomic sciences spawned by the Human Genome Project will increasingly draw attention to the importance of understanding the human genome from an evolutionary point of view. This perspective will be enriched through a more detailed understanding of DNA sequences of primate genomes, as well as the regulation of their expression in the course of development. The articles collected here reflect some of the diversity of investigations through which genetic analyses can contribute to our understanding the biology and evolution of primates. Primate evolution is of general interest because humans are primates. Our closest relatives, the chimpanzee, the bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee, and the gorilla share with us a common ancestry of genes and genome organization. The understanding of human biology and medicine requires a detailed comparison of our genetic makeup with the species to which we are most closely related. Scientific societies such as the AGA have a positive role to play in bringing issues of societal concern to fuller discussion, not just within their own disciplines but to the larger public. In this regard, the AGA fulfills this role through its Journal of Heredity and its symposia, of which this is the most recent. Attainment of the emerging diversity of genetic studies will have dramatic effects on human society, as well as an impact on the rest of the biosphere. Many species of primates are endangered, including chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas. Increased genetic knowledge of primate species may provide important contributions in the effort to conserve viable populations in the wild.