Chimpanzees are genetically adapted to thrive in their local environment

Chimpanzees bear genetic adaptations that help them thrive in different habitats, such as forests and savannahs, according to a recent study conducted by an international team of researchers.

Moreover, some of these adaptations seem to protect them from diseases like malaria.

Led by the University College London (UCL), the study sheds light on chimpanzee evolution, while offering new insights into the biology of malaria infection in humans.

Local adaptations in chimpanzees

Chimpanzees share over 98% of their DNA with humans, making them invaluable for studying our own evolutionary history and vulnerabilities.

The researchers investigated how different populations of chimpanzees have adapted to various environments – ranging from dense forests to open savannahs – and how these adaptations might protect them from diseases like malaria. 

The study also emphasizes the implications of habitat threats such as climate change and human pressures on these genetic adaptations.

“There are just a few hundred thousand chimpanzees alive, but they are found across very different landscapes from east Africa to the far west of the continent, including dense tropical rainforests and open areas of woodland and savannah. This makes them quite unique, because except for humans, all other apes live exclusively in forests,” said lead author Aida Andrés from the UCL Genetics Institute. 

“Here we have shown that besides acquiring behavioral adaptations, different chimpanzee populations have evolved genetic differences to survive in their different local habitats.”

Genetic differences of chimpanzees

To explore genetic adaptation, the international team collected non-invasive DNA samples, primarily from feces, as part of the Pan African Program: The Cultured Chimpanzee (PanAf). 

These samples allowed scientists to analyze the exomes – the protein-coding regions – of 828 wild chimpanzees, eventually focusing on 388 individuals representing 30 different populations across the four chimpanzee subspecies.

By comparing genetic variants across these populations and correlating them with local environmental conditions, the team identified key genetic adaptations. They discovered that genes related to pathogen resistance, especially malaria, showed strong signs of selection in forest-dwelling chimpanzees. 

Specifically, genetic variants in the GYPA and HBB genes, known in humans for their roles in malaria resistance and sickle cell anemia respectively, were found to be under similar selective pressures.

“The close genetic similarities between the great apes have resulted in diseases jumping from apes to humans, such as with malaria and HIV/AIDS, so studying wild chimpanzees is extremely useful to understand these and other shared infectious diseases in humans, and could help to develop new treatments or vaccines,” explained Dr. Harrison Ostridge from UCL Genetics Institute.

Implications for conservation and human health

The study highlights that as chimpanzees face threats like habitat destruction, poaching, and infectious diseases, their genetic diversity is crucial for resilience. 

“As chimpanzees are facing threats across their range, including environmental changes to the climate and displacement due to human pressures, it is important that their genetic diversity is conserved to maintain their resilience and ensure the long-term survival of this intelligent and fascinating species,” Andrés said.

Moreover, finding that chimpanzees and humans share similar genetic adaptations to malaria provides an evolutionary perspective on how resistance to this disease has developed. 

The discovery suggests that there might be limited genetic pathways to achieving malaria resistance, which could inform future human treatments.

Insights from diverse habitats

The research didn’t just focus on forest dwellers. It also touched on how chimpanzees adapt to savannah conditions – areas with higher temperatures, lower rainfall, and scarcer food.

These adaptations may shed more light on how early human ancestors survived as they moved from forests to savannahs millions of years ago, adapting to new challenges along the way.

The study was a massive collaborative effort involving institutions across Africa, Europe, and North America. Dr. Hjalmar Kuehl, co-director of PanAf, acknowledged the work of international colleagues.

“This groundbreaking study on chimpanzee local adaptations could not be accomplished without the extraordinary collaboration of an international team of scientists who worked tirelessly to collect non-invasive data, including fecal samples, from countries across the chimpanzee range,” said Dr. Kuehl.

Implications of the research

Furthermore, the research invites public engagement through initiatives like Chimp & See, where community scientists can assist in annotating videos collected alongside genetic samples.

The findings have far-reaching implications not only for conservation efforts – by guiding strategies to preserve genetic diversity and adapt to environmental changes – but also for human health research into infectious diseases like malaria. 

As the study continues, researchers aim to further unravel how genetic adaptations in chimpanzees mirror those in humans, potentially leading to breakthroughs in treatment and prevention strategies.

The research is published in the journal Science.

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