Local genetic adaptation to habitat in wild chimpanzees

Ostridge, Harrison J.; Lizano González, Esther, 1974-; Marquès i Bonet, Tomàs, 1975-; Andrés Morán, Aida, 1976-

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adn7954

Local genetic adaptation to habitat in wild chimpanzees

Citation

Ostridge HJ, Fontsere C, Lizano E, Soto DC, Schmidt JM, Saxena V, et al. Local genetic adaptation to habitat in wild chimpanzees. Science. 2025;387(6730). DOI: 10.1126/science.adn7954

Abstract

How populations adapt to their environment is a fundamental question in biology. Yet we know surprisingly little about this process, especially for endangered species such as non-human great apes. Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are particularly interesting because they inhabit diverse habitats, from rainforest to woodland-savannah. Whether genetic adaptation facilitates such habitat diversity remains unknown, despite having wide implications for evolutionary biology and conservation. Using 828 newly generated exomes from wild chimpanzees, we find evidence of fine-scale genetic adaptation to habitat. Notably, adaptation to malaria in forest chimpanzees is mediated by the same genes underlying adaptation to malaria in humans. This work demonstrates the power of non-invasive samples to reveal genetic adaptations in endangered populations and highlights the importance of adaptive genetic diversity for chimpanzees.