WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The shrinking population size of eastern lowland gorillas has led to an increase of harmful mutations among this endangered species over the past several decades, showed a recent study.
By comparing genomes of specimens collected from the eastern lowland gorillas over several generations, the scientists find that the gorillas have accumulated harmful mutations as the species' genetic diversity sharply declined due to habitat losses and inbreeding, according to the study published on the journal Current Biology.
The researchers found that some changes in genes that affect male fertility and disease resistance could leave the species less capable of adapting to sudden changes in their environment or disease outbreaks, which may further threaten the survival of these apes.
The population of the eastern lowland gorillas, also known as the Grauer's gorillas, which live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has declined by 80 percent over the last several decades.
