Association between hybrid status and reproductive success of captive male and female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC).

The California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) houses more than 1,000 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) of mixed Chinese-Indian ancestry. Most of these animals are kept in outdoor field cages, the colony's long term breeding resource. Since 2001, hybrids comprised between 4 and 49% of the field cage populations, but in most cases have represented a maximum of 10% of those populations.

Population genetic statistics from rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in three different housing configurations at the California National Primate Research Center.

This study analyzed the genetic composition of 3382 genetically characterized and pedigreed animals currently maintained under 3 different housing configurations at the California National Primate Research Center, including the indoor colony, outdoor 'corn cribs,' and half-acre field cages. Summary statistics based on 15 short tandem repeats strongly suggest significant effects of genetic drift, including the loss of allele diversity, among the enclosures within the housing facilities even though gene flow among the different housing units is actively promoted by colony management. Management methods of selectively harvesting female macaques to prevent overrepresentation of one or only a few matrilines and cross-fostering 1-wk-old infants among breeding cages and corn cribs have been insufficient to prevent genetic subdivisions among the cages and corn cribs and to evenly distribute genetic diversity throughout the colony.

Canine population data generated from a multiplex STR kit for use in forensic casework.

Canine biological specimens are often part of the physical evidence from crime scenes. Until now, there have been no validated canine-specific forensic reagent kits available. A multiplex genotyping system, comprising 18 short tandem repeats (STRs) and a sex-linked zinc finger locus for gender determination, was developed for generating population genetic data assessing the weight of canine forensic DNA profiles.

INTERSPECIES HYBRIDIZATION AND THE STRATIFICATION OF NUCLEAR GENETIC VARIATION OF RHESUS (MACACA MULATTA) AND LONG-TAILED MACAQUES (MACACA FASCICULARIS).

Genotypes for 13 short tandem repeats (STRs) were used to assess the genetic diversity within and differentiation among populations of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) from mainland Asia and long-tailed macaques (M. fascicularis) from mainland and insular Southeast Asia. These animals were either recently captured in the wild or derived from wild-caught founders maintained in captivity for biomedical research.

Analysis of forensic SNPs in the canine mtDNA HV1 mutational hotspot region.

A 60 bp sequence variation hotspot in the canine mitochondrial DNA hypervariable region 1 was evaluated for its use in forensic investigations. Nineteen haplotypes containing 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms were observed among laboratory-generated and GenBank-derived domestic dog sequences representing five regional localities in the U.S.