An Alu insertion polymorphism in a baboon hybrid zone

A novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer pair was used to analyze the frequency of insertion of the first described, nonhuman, baboon-specific A lu repetitive element in populations from the Papio hamadryas anubis and th e Papio hamadryas hamadryas subspecies, and from a number of anubis-hamadry as hybrids. The Alu insertion is found in intron 7 of the baboon lipoprotei n lipase (LPL) gene. Each of the populations had different frequencies for the insertion, and the hybrids examined had a frequency intermediate to tha t of the parental populations. Al hybrids and all P. h. anubis groups excep t the group of anubis sampled in 1973 exhibited higher-than-expected hetero zygosity, while P. h. hamadryas and 1973 P. h. anubis showed lower-than-exp ected heterozygosity, supporting behavioral and other genetic observations of greater anubis outbreeding relative to hamadryas. This may include asymm etric introgression of the Alu insertion from hamadryas to the anubis popul ation due to hybridization. Am J Phys Anthropol 109:1-8, 1999. (C) 1999 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.