Parallel Paths: Understanding Malaria Resistance in Chimpanzees and Humans

The closest relatives of humans adapt genetically to habitats and infections

Survival of the Fittest: Genetic Adaptations Uncovered in Chimpanzees

Görlitz, 10.01.2025. Chimpanzees have genetic adaptations that help them survive in different forest and savannah habitats. This is the result of a study published today in the renowned journal “Science”. An international research team led by University College London (UCL) shows that some of these adaptations could also protect the animals from malaria. The researchers emphasize that their results provide insights into our own evolutionary history, as well as into the biology of malaria infection in humans.

Human’s Close Kinship with Chimpanzees

We share over 98 percent of our DNA with chimpanzees – making the highly intelligent primates the closest living relatives of humans. “There are currently only a few hundred thousand wild chimpanzees left. They live in very different landscapes – from East Africa to the far west of the continent, in dense tropical rainforests and open forest and savannah areas. This makes the animals unique among the great apes, all other Hominidae live exclusively in forests,” explains lead author of the study Prof. Dr.  Aida Andrés from the UCL Genetics Institute continues: “In our study, we were able to show that different chimpanzee populations evolved genetic differences in addition to behavioural adaptations in order to survive in their different habitats.”

Habitat Endangerment and Diseases

Chimpanzees are endangered by habitat destruction, poaching and infectious diseases. In particular, the distribution area of the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is becoming increasingly restricted and is highly fragmented. The bonobo (Pan paniscus) is confined to a small area. Both species are listed by the IUCN as critically endangered. “As chimpanzees are affected by threats such as environmental change and human activity throughout their range, it is important to preserve their genetic diversity to maintain their resilience and ensure the long-term survival of this intelligent and fascinating species,” adds Andrés.

Non-Invasive Sampling for Genetic Adaptations of Primates

To study the genetic adaptations of primates, the international research team needed DNA from wild chimpanzees without disturbing them. To do this, they used faecal samples collected as part of the “Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee (PanAf)”. Using state-of-the-art laboratory and computer methods, the researchers were able to analyze the chimpanzee DNA in these samples and conduct the largest study to date on local adaptations in endangered wild mammals. Prof. Dr. Hjalmar Kuehl from the Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde in Görlitz, co-author of the study and PanAf co-director, comments: “This groundbreaking study on local adaptations in chimpanzees would not have been possible without the extraordinary collaboration of an international team of scientists who tirelessly collected non-invasive data, including fecal samples, from countries throughout the chimpanzee’s range.”

The research team analyzed the exome — the protein-coding part of the genome — from 828 wild chimpanzees, 388 of which were included in the final analysis. These represented 30 different chimpanzee populations from the geographical and ecological range of the four subspecies. The scientists compared the genetic information with data on the local environments in which the respective populations live and identified genetic variants that are significantly more common in certain regions and likely offer an advantage in these habitats.

“We found evidence of genetic adaptations in genes associated with certain pathogens – disease-causing microorganisms. This is especially the case with chimpanzees in forests where there is a high concentration of pathogens. We have discovered the strongest evidence in genes associated with malaria. These include two genes that are also known for adaptation and resistance to malaria in humans: GYPA and HBB – the latter is responsible for sickle cell anemia in humans,” explains Kühl.

Parallel Evolution in Malaria Resistance

The new results suggest that malaria is a serious disease for wild forest chimpanzees. The adaptation to the malaria parasite also took place in the same genes in chimpanzees and humans, regardless of external changes. Dr Harrison Ostridge from the UCL Genetics Institute and also first author of the study: “The close genetic relationship between the great apes has meant that diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria can jump from apes to humans or occur independently in both. The study of wild chimpanzees is therefore extremely useful for understanding these and other infectious diseases in humans and potentially developing new treatments or vaccines. It is remarkable from an evolutionary point of view that we have found evidence of malaria adaptation in chimpanzees that is linked to the same genes that influence malaria resistance in humans. This suggests that there may be limited ways in which we can develop resistance to the malaria parasite.”

The study also shows that chimpanzees have adapted well to habitats in the savannah, which are characterized by higher temperatures, less rainfall and lower food availability. “The study of savannah chimpanzees could shed light on how human ancestors genetically adapted to similar habitats millions of years ago when they first moved from the African forest to the savannah,” adds Kühl.

A Step Towards Conservation and Collaboration with Scientists

The results of the study could also strengthen conservation, as they suggest that climate and land-use changes will have different effects on different groups of chimpanzees. When it comes to animal welfare, the researchers also rely on citizen scientists. “We invite all interested parties to support us! On the ChimpandSee.org website, you can help label videos that have been collected together with the genetic samples from the entire range of chimpanzees,” concludes co-author Dr. Mimi Arandjelovic from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

About The Senckenberg Society for Nature Research
The Senckenberg Society for Nature Research is an institution of the Leibniz Association and has been researching the “Earth system” worldwide for over 200 years – in the past, the present and with forecasts for the future. We conduct integrative “geobiodiversity research” with the aim of understanding nature with its infinite diversity in order to preserve it as the basis of life for future generations and to use it sustainably. In addition, Senckenberg communicates research results in a variety of ways, especially in the three nature museums in Frankfurt, Görlitz and Dresden. The Senckenberg Natural History Museums are places of learning and amazement and serve as open platforms for democratic dialogue – inclusive, participatory and international.
Website: www.senckenberg.de.

Expert Contact
Prof. Dr. Hjalmar Kuehl
Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz
Phone Number: 03581 4760 5420
Email ID: hjalmar.kuehl@senckenberg.de

Original Publication
Harrison J. Ostridge, Claudia Fontsere, Esther Lizano, Daniela C. Soto, Joshua M. Schmidt, Vrishti Saxena, Marina Alvarez-Estape, Christopher D. Barratt, Paolo Gratton, Gaëlle Bocksberger, Jack D. Lester, Paula Dieguez, Anthony Agbor, Samuel Angedakin, Alfred Kwabena Assumang, Emma Bailey, Donatienne Barubiyo, Mattia Bessone, Gregory Brazzola, Rebecca Chancellor, Heather Cohen, Coupland, Emmanuel Danquah, Tobias Deschner, Laia Dotras, Jef Dupain, Villard Ebot Egbe, Anne-Céline Granjon, Josephine Head, Daniela Hedwig, Veerle Hermans, R. Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Sorrel Jones, Jessica Junker, Parag Kadam, Michael Kaiser, Ammie K. Kalan, Mbangi Kambere, Ivonne Kienast, Deo Kujirakwinja, Kevin E. Langergraber, Juan Lapuente, Bradley Larson, Anne Laudisoit, Kevin C. Lee , Manuel Llana, Giovanna Maretti, Rumen Martín, Amelia C. Meier, David Morgan, Emily Neil, Sonia Nicholl, Stuart Nixon , Emmanuelle Normand, Christopher Orbell, Lucy Jayne Ormsby, Robinson Orume, Liliana Pacheco, Jodie Preece, Sebastien Regnaut, Martha M. Robbins, Aaron Rundus, Crickette Sanz, Lilah Sciaky, Volker Sommer, Fiona A. Stewart, Nikki Tagg, Luc Roscelin Tédonzong, Joost van Schijndel, Elleni Vendras, Erin G. Wessling, Jacob Willie, Roman M. Wittig, Yisa Ginath Yuh, Kyle Yurkiw, Linda Vigilant, Alex K. Piel, Christophe Boesch, Hjalmar S. Kühl, Megan Y. Dennis, Tomas Marques-Bonet, Mimi Arandjelovic, and Aida M. Andrés
Journal: Science
Article Title: Local genetic adaptation to habitat in wild chimpanzees
Article Publication Date: 10 Jan 2025
DOI: 10.1126/science.adn7954

Media Contact
Judith Jördens
Press
Senckenberg Society for Nature Research
Phone Number: 069 7542 1434
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