Species and Geographic Differences in the Transferrin Polymorphism of Macaques

Abstract

Eleven molecular forms and 34 phenotypes of transferrin have been detected in 372 serums from six macaque species. The tendency to polymorphism varies from species to species and from one local population to another. The most extensive polymorphism was observed in Macaca mulatta, which showed at least ten transferrins and 24 phenotypes. Transferrins present in stump-tail macaques (M. speciosa) from Thailand were also found in crab-eating macaques (M. irus) from Thailand, but not in crab-eating macaques from the Philippines. The results suggest that macaque species are semispecies rather than complete species.