Capuchin Monkey Genome Study Unveils Clues to Long Life, Large Brains Thru Faeces DNA Extraction

An international study conducted gene sequencing on Capuchin monkeys, finding genetic clues throughout their evolution that could explain their notable life expectancy and large brains.

Researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdoms led the study, with Professor Joao Pedro De Magalhaes explaining: "Capuchins have the largest relative brain size of any monkey and can live past the age of 50, despite their small size, but their generic underpinnings had remained unexplored until now."

Understanding the Capuchin Monkey Perks on a Genetic Level

To uncover the secrets of the Capuchin monkey, researchers developed and annotated a reference assembly for the white-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus imitator) to isolate and possibly trace the evolution of these traits: longevity and brain size. With an approach method based on comparative genomics, researchers also took a look at different mammal species to find genes down the evolutionary selection that are related to longevity and brain development.

"We found signatures of positive selection on genes underlying both traits, which helps us to better understand how such traits evolve," explains Amanda Melin, senior author of the study and Canada's Research Chair who has worked on Capuchin monkey genetics and behaviors for about two decades, as reported by ANI News. She further explains that their work reveals new evidence of "genetic adaptation" that allowed them to survive drought and seasonal environments by examining capuchins from the said environments - a rainforest and a seasonal dry forest.

In their study, published in the latest journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers found genes associated with DNA damage response, metabolism, insulin signaling, and cell cycles. DNA damage, in particular, has been believed to be a major contributor that leads to aging. Additionally, ANI notes previous works by Professor De Magalhaes and collaborators that genes involved in DNA damage response have been associated with longevity-specific selection patterns among mammals.

However, Prof. De Magalhaes notes that since aging-related genes actually play more roles than one, it is "impossible to be sure" whether the gene selection they found is directly related to the aging process or other life-history characteristics such as developmental cycles and growth rates, that in turn correlates with longevity.

A More Precise Technology for DNA Extraction

The new findings on Capuchin genetics were made possible through the use of a new technology that isolates DNA more efficiently from primate feces. Called "FecalFACS," it builds on existing methods that were previously used to separate cell types in animal bodily fluids - such as those used in separating cell types in blood for cancer treatment research. Researchers applied this to primate fecal samples.

"This is a major breakthrough because the typical way to extract DNA from faeces results in about 95-99 per cent of the DNA coming from gut microbes and food items, explains Dr. Joseph Orkin, who worked on the study as a postdoc scholar at the University of Calgary and is now at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra - CSIC in Barcelona. He further notes that the new tech could support conservation efforts since it is a precise technique utilizing readily available and non-invasive materials.