[Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism in five species of the genus Macaca]

mtDNA from thirteen monkeys of five species (Macaca mulatta, M. nemestrina, M. assamensis, M. thibetana, M. arctoides) of the genus Macaca was analyzed with ten restriction enzymes, and compared with that of Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata). Eight restriction types were observed among thirteen samples. There was extensive polymorphism in M. mulatta. The estimated number of nucleotide substitutions per site in M. mulatta is 0.012, and between these six species ranges from 0.016 to 0.091. Molecular phylogenetic tree of the mtDNA was constructed based on the genetic distance (P). The six species were divided into four groups: M nemestrina, M. arctoides, M. assamensis and M. thebitana, M. mulatta and M. fuscata. Our results support Fooden's (1976) classification of the genus Macaca into four species groups on the basis of morphologic data. Divergence times of the six species of the genus Macaca were also estimated on the mean rate of sequences divergence of 0.02 per million years in mtDNA.