Date of Award
Summer 7-22-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
August 2026
Department
Biological Sciences
College Granting Degree
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department Granting Degree
Biological Sciences
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Kate Detwiler
Abstract
Hybridization is now considered a creative force in evolution because it increases genetic and phenotypic variation on which natural selection can then act. Using genomic techniques, this phenomenon has been documented in every major primate lineage, including humans. In this study, I explored the phenotypic consequences of ongoing, natural hybridization between Cercopithecus ascanius and Cercopithecus mitis in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. I used photographic and acoustic data to document pelage variation, body size, and male vocalizations in parental and hybrid phenotypes. I expected to document hybrid traits that were intermediate, indistinguishable from parental species, and novel. My results indicated increased variation and various degrees of intermediacy in all three trait categories. Several traits were indistinguishable from parental species, even if another trait suggested hybrid ancestry. Furthermore, novel pelage traits, transgressive females, and unique vocal signatures were recorded in hybrids. Parental phenotypes across all three trait categories were common. Overall, my study highlights the varied phenotypic effects of hybridization between two divergent species. By introducing trait variation, hybridization creates opportunities for adaptive evolution. However, despite ongoing gene flow, the presence of parental forms suggests species boundaries are still being maintained in this population.
Recommended Citation
Coates, Kathryn, "THE IMPACTS OF NATURAL HYBRIDIZATION BETWEEN CERCOPITHECUS MITIS AND CERCOPITHECUS ASCANIUS IN GOMBE NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 400.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/400