Investigating how different evolutionary forces have shaped patterns of DNA variation within and among species requires detailed knowledge of their demographic history. O rang‐utans, whose distribution is currently restricted to the S outh‐ E ast A sian islands of B orneo ( P ongo pygmaeus ) and S umatra ( P ongo abelii ), have likely experienced a complex demographic history, influenced by recurrent changes in climate and sea...

Mating systems are thought to be an important determinant of dispersal strategies in most animals, including the great apes. As the most basal taxon of all great apes, orang‐utans can provide information about the evolution of mating systems and their consequences for population structure in this Family. To assess the sex‐specific population structure in orang‐utans, we used a combination of paternally transmitted Y‐chromosoma...