RAPID: Preserving the endangered Cayo Santiago skeletal collection for studies linking genetics, behavior and morphology

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The Cayo Santiago rhesus macaque field site in Puerto Rico has served as an unparalleled source of genetic, behavioral, and anatomical data for over 75 years, and the associated skeletal collection is a valuable resource for developing models to infer aspects of human and primate evolution from the fossil record. This RAPID award supports the most urgent aspects of saving and continuing the Cayo Santiago collection. A substantial portion of the collection will move to New York University (NYU) where it will be available to scientific researchers in biological anthropology and other disciplines for studies linking behavioral, genetic and soft tissue anatomical traits of living organisms to features of their skeletons. In addition to serving as an exemplary research resource, the collection will increase public access to science through on-campus K-12 student programs, classroom site visits, teacher training, public lectures, and virtual resources. The project directly enhances representation of scholars traditionally underrepresented in STEM through undergraduate and graduate student internship opportunities. This project is supported with NSF Public Access funds. Primate populations of precise known lineage (pedigree) are rare, and the Cayo Santiago macaques are unique in being free-ranging populations with a long documented history and rich behavioral, genetic and anatomical research programs. This award supports the establishment of a NYU-based branch of the Cayo Santiago skeletal collection, formed from rhesus macaque skeletons (Macaca mulatta) that cannot be accommodated in the existing collection and by skeletonization of cadavers currently in cold storage; both sets of remains are in danger of losing the individual identifiers that make them such important research resources for human evolutionary studies. Preserving their remains and connecting them with the rich database of biological and behavioral attributes collected during their lifetimes is a key foundation for future research. The CPRC-NYU skeletonization process will privilege methods that yield the greatest integrity to bone micro-structure, DNA content, and isotopic values. The collection can be used to address several key research questions in biological anthropology related to how environment and heredity shape aspects of the skeleton, and how preference for particular kinds of mates shapes the skeleton of each sex, as well as allowing unlimited future research opportunities. The results lay the foundation for understanding human evolution.