2007/04/12 by Richard A. Gibbs, Jeffrey Rogers, Michael G. Katze +97 · 4 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Neuroscience · #Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies #Chromosomal and Genetic Variations #Machine Learning in Bioinformatics #Rhesus macaque #Macaque #Primate #Biology #Homo sapiens #Genome #Nonhuman primate #Evolutionary biology #Lineage (genetic) #Genetics #Gene #Neuroscience
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1139247
openalex publication_date 2007/04/12 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
The rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is an abundant primate species that diverged from the ancestors of Homo sapiens about 25 million years ago. Because they are genetically and physiologically similar to humans, rhesus monkeys are the most widely used nonhuman primate in basic and applied biomedical research. We determined the genome sequence of an Indian-origin Macaca mulatta female and compared the data with chimpanzees and humans to reveal the structure of ancestral primate genomes and to identify evidence for positive selection and lineage-specific expansions and contractions of gene families. A comparison of sequences from individual animals was used to investigate their underlying genetic diversity. The complete description of the macaque genome blueprint enhances the utility of this animal model for biomedical research and improves our understanding of the basic biology of the species.