RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) profiles of ten macaque species

Here, we report on the RAPD profiles of 61 individuals belonging to 10 maca que species. We used 23 different PCR primers on each sample and found an a verage of 17 bands per primer. The RAPD profiles appear to be highly reprod ucible because we found no differences in the amplification patterns produc ed by the DNA extracted from hair or blood. Strikingly, each species had a unique RAPD pattern homogeneously shared by all individuals. Comparisons be tween taxa showed that variability in the RAPD pattern was low, and the Sm index was below 0.601. Cluster analysis led to a division of the macaques i nto two main clusters: One with M. sylvanus and M. silenus and the other wi th M. arctoides, mulatta, fascicularis, nemestrina, tonkeana and fuscata. M acaca nigra and M, radiata were positioned outside of these clusters. Gene flow may explain the zoogeographic pattern present in the RAPD profiles. Th e lack of within-species variability suggests the operation of founder effe cts and strong genetic drift, which may have been particularly strong in th e case of peripherally placed species such as M, radiata, fuscata and nigra . The position of M. tonkeana is divergent from all the commonly accepted t axonomic and phylogenetic schemes. This result suggests that the RAPD techn ique is not always able to reveal the "true" phylogenetic relationships wit hin the genus Macaca. The nature of genetic variation uncovered by the RAPD method is still unclear, and prudence should guide inferences about nucleo tide divergence, population structure and phylogeny based solely on RAPD ma rkers.