Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Amazonian red‐handed howlers <i>Alouatta belzebul</i> (Primates, Plathyrrini)

Abstract

Abstract Ten highly polymorphic microsatellite loci are described for Amazonian red‐handed howlers ( Alouatta belzebul ), an endemic Brazilian primate species subject to intense hunting pressure. The number of alleles observed in 30 individuals ranged from nine to 20, and observed heterozygosity varied from 0.35 to 0.93. No linkage associations were evident from pairwise comparisons of loci. These microsatellites offer a powerful tool for fine‐scale studies of genetic structure in both captive colonies and wild populations of red‐handed howlers.